Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-14

rexTLAxD VI. xekTmERx PArrTSC
TrsnhIe nsewsne fsr she Kaffrss<
Cs@pasy.
lOsseonian. Oct flth.l
There is strong probability that ,
large share Of the heaviest Shippers Il
Portland will sign contracts with tts
Union Pacific. the Short Line xnd ths
| q. II & N. before the end Of this year
and wili cease 20 ship from the Esst by
the Norfkern Pacific. This statement
! will be feceiyed By the people Of th<
Northwest Coast with surprise. bul the
action above mentioned Is confingeu,
on oniy one thing. viz thai the Norsh.
ern Pacific consinne IT, present attitude
toward Portland. It il an open secrei
that nearly all Wholesale merchants
have been dissatisfied with the policy
Of the Northern Paci1c ever sinoe the
change In nanaRepseut ~ the begin.
ming Of this year. Yet they we're not
inclined 70 b vigorous In protests. b.
Gauss they felt that the new officers
| were probably not we'll informed - 70
/ the details Of the traffic. Grievances
l vers presented 10 ths management
through trafiio officers, and there WAS
| patieut waiting TO have them adjusted.
Bat no attention was paid to the CON-
| plants. and subsequent action by the
company showed that they did not
eh0ose 20 advance PortIand's msrcan-
tile interests. II. indesd, they did not
intend TO injure it.
30 long as tue Northern Pacific was
master Of the situation, grievances we're
narnsd, and no one was anxious 20 an
sWsr shs apparent question by the rail-
road, !. What are you going TO do about
| sfw The merchants will be praparsd
| 20 answer before the Sist Of December
next. by which time the present con.
tracts with the Northern Pacific will
have expired. By that time the Oregon
short Ldne and the Baker City branch
will have completed their junction, and
trains will probably be runniuR smooth
Iy between Portland and Omaha. In
order 70 learn the feeling among busi-
ness men on this vital question, an Ore
gogtas reporter Vas detailed yesterday
20 call on leading wholesale dealers and
get an expression Of views. ls was
somewhat Of q surprise TO learn that the
question had been discussed among
merchants in all les rainihcations and
bearings. and that every man approach
cd was ready with statement, which
Was given without hesitation or eqnivo-
cation. Unless the expressions of in
tent were made for bluff, !" II il evi-
dent that Portland will link her traffic
interests with the new line, unless the
Northern Pacific makes radical change
In Its policy.
CAUSE ron THE DTssATsrACrros.
One Of the largest shippers in Front
street WAS asked TO specify the griev-
ances he had against tne road. What
he said may be set down aa the views of
majority Of the wholesalers and man
ufacturers, and the indictment may be
divided into three counts:
First - That the new management
have broken faith. When she road was
completed there was an explicit under
standing that rates would be such that
Portland could compete for the trade
east of the Cascade mountains, natn-
rally tributary TO her. Ths boundary
limit was placed at the eastern line Of
idaho. Portland never had much trade
east Of hathdrum aud Sand Point. OF
late the Northern Pacific has been cut
ting rates from the East TO towns on
the Idaho division (the old Pend dor
ellie division) so that Portland Is prao-
t,cally shut out Of tie field. He quoted
the following from an Eastern Wash
ington paper bearing on the point:
I" the present condition OF freights
develops tho Singular fact that tner-
chant living in Spokane Falle can have
sugar delivered at his door one cent
pound cheaper than the San Francisco
merchant oan."
Second--whcn President Harris, of
the Northern Paoific, was here last sum
mer be was waited on by committee
Of three from the Board of Trade rela-
tive to the policy Of ths company with
regard to wares manufactured IN Ore
gon. He expressed himself AS decided
| ly IN favor Of fostering manufactures,
aud promised unequivooally that rates
should be made whereby Portland man
ufacturers could compete with those of
eastern cities. This has been grossly
violated in every case where eastern
wares have come into competition with
Portland's product, aad numerous in-
stances can he quoted where goods have
been carried from Nov York TO Spokane
Fails nt rates aa low as from Portland
TO Spokane Falls. In other words, the
company has steadily Disseminated
against Portland.
Third-That tbs management of the
railroad had subverted the legitimate
carrying business for which IL was built
| to boom town lots In Tacoma, owned by
a close corporation. composed OF few
favored Northern Pacific stockholders
in Philadelphia.
Whether the above complaints are
| founded on the cold facts the Oregoaian
is not able 10 say. II simply repeats
the statements as given.
| AN INDIGNANT VIEW
Said man who has done business for
twenty two years and Ia noted for free
dom of expression in public matters:
"fhe Northern Pacific has made id
fool of itself, as usual. IL can't see an
| inch before its face. Just because II
wanted 20 secure the trade OF three or
| four towns and deprive the Oregon Rail
way & Navigation of part OF the haul,
| it has ansaganized the most important
city west Of Minneapolis that IL reaches.
There are 25 or 80 houses in Portland
either OF which ships more goods than
all tue towns between Walluia function
aud Missoula combined; and yet the
company IL 50 stupid that 10 cannot
comprehend that IL il breaking its neck
"A transcontinental lipe by shis short
sighted, miseriy policy. Those fellows
In New Yoik have evidently been asieer
and haven't heard that the Oregon
Short Line will be 10 Portland In few
days. They don't seem 20 know that
somebody else has railroad across TOE
country 10 Oregon. Ii makes me indig
nsns 20 talk about 10. and l have Just
this 70 say: Unless We get from ths
Northern, Pacific the most favorable
consideration. every man IN the sity vii
get his goods over the Union Paci1c
Mark that. I'm month We won't need
tie Northern Pacific any more than ~
need the Southern Pacific Let then
busld their Cascade Branch and load
themselves mp with another heavy debt
aud operate their expensive road to-
wheref don't care where they run it
they won't get as much business in |
mouth as Portland gives them in |
week. 10 is astounding that oompAn,
is 50 void Of the simrlcst bosiness sens
"a 60 drive away the trade Of thl
principal terminus and set in returI
the trade of half doEsn small toxn
1 Il -