Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-15
DAILY poST.INTEluGtNctR.
WuAT NEXT :?

WHAT NEXT?
There il a monthly journal pubiisoed
in New York city ostensibly devoted 10
" the development of the Ee~ North
Western States and Territories, bot re-
ally occupied in advanciuRtte in'eres''
NJ the Northern Pacific Railroad Com
psny at the expense Of such common
vealths. 1t 10 named TIE torthie-a' In
a recent issue this organ edisorialiy e1-
oras.sd itself "a follows, in reference 70
the land grant between wallula ana
Portland:
.WbiIe the Northern Pacific Cempa
nv GAS constructing the centfai oiVls'ooe
III it, road, another corp'fa'ioh, 'no
DRAGON Railway and Navl2ation Io'n-
nany. stepped IN and built roao Af'lie
the CoIun, bia River, On the fous1 mar
ed out by Congress for the former oohi-
nsny thus the hue tor ~nicn ii.e
GRANT was made along tue Coiuhlo'a -
nroylded, but not ny the Northern
e,fic. For the Northern facihc 70 ou
ulicste this line TO earn the iano RIan'
ut apart for it would hardly De vse
policy. Experiments IN paIanei. ~.
roads have been disastrous even III 'ue
denselv settled States OF the Eas'. an
equitable arrangement wooio DC noi
Cnn0rsss to authorize the Northern "a
cific TO purchase the river line OF the
Oregon Railway and Navigation Con
nany. or practically acquire It oy long
lease. and receive the grant ALREADY
earned in effect"
We submit that for unblushinR, IN
dressed and ondecorated edrontery THIS
proposition dess rvos recognition anu
,oonumsut. Let Ms look at the facts A
railroad was built several wears ago
through a settled country and connect
ING prominent business peints IL 'hs
State Of Oregon. 1t WAS built with pr'-
waite cauital. without the aid OF land
grant, and has been from the hrst pay
ing property. Many years previous
GRANT Of land h i been made 70 aid the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company N
building a railroad along this roate. IL
has never done 80. 1t had not attempt
I'd to do 90 when the Oregon Railway
and Navigation Company began work,
nor has it up to this time, nor does II
intenl IN build that section OF Its al
leoed transoontinental line. 1t neglect
ed TO do. with the aid Of vast subsidy
in lands. what has been done by an
other corporation without Government
aid. Az we have said, that railroad runs
through and to a fertile region, and has
been and is remunerative property. A
second and parallel road would possibly
be improbable, because it would doubt
less result in com pstition between the
two lines. This being the situation,
what ia proposed Briefly, to lease this
unsubsidized railroad for a period OF
years, thereby warding of the danger OF
competition, and under cover OF such
lease to obtain from government about
1000. 600 acres Of valuable public lands
along the Columbia River. No road 10
to be constructed, but a mere lease,
such as is common in railroad manage
ment, such az even nov exists between
the two companies named. Is to be
made the basis upon which to predicate
a claim for donation from the govern
ment Of &20,OOO,OO0 worth Of land. In
short. this organ coolly makes the prop
ositi0n that the go ernment shall give
the Northern Pacific Railroad about
100000 acres Of land for operating a
ieased line Of road, which has been built
for years and operated at n good round
profit. We confess to being staggered
TT this sort Of INTERCHANGEABLE
knocked ont" as it we're. Twenty years
after a land grant is made, and five
years after it has legally been forfeited
it il proposed to earn it by leasing a
valuable railroad constructed by pri-
vate capital long after the grant WAS
made, and profitsbly operated for a
series Of years. IL this pioneering Ia
this opening up new country to settle
Inent i! IL it anv thing else than an
audacious and insulting demand from a
predatory band Of land grabbers fer
booty No public benefit would result
from a long leass by the Northern Pa
oific Railroad Company Of the railroad
in question. On the contrary. it wonld
strange composition, and perpetuate a
monopoly of rail transportation along
the Colombia River. What next will be
demanded for this company by its syo-
ophRnts and tools