, 1888-02-02
Glle At,eel'lg Srgua>
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY = fSs,
Resolutions - tUr GsB.I - .yl.-,....s
B0aTs Oi Trace

WHEREAS, L has CONS ., oar k.su-
ledge that bili FIX fgs,-il Is and f.r,s
q! THllroai limos within Washington
Territory has F-=syd Tie Territorial
1ouach and Is BOW Tan.ll- El ..c
Hous-; and
WHERE'S, Ne h,l,ry, t.al =.iI tn
would, II enacted iuln a law, -srg tiy hl--
der and Te-aT! railroad G.yt.urlayit
within he Territory, GaI would Thereby
operate TO tie Ggt..me.t g.. !ia i..t .s.-
teF,s:s OF all cuHCcGT-l; We therefore
beg leave 10 subinI, The aiipWi.g Ia lie
members snf the Legislative Assembly:
No system OF uniform fIeIght- aud
fares would OF Could O! rate with JUS
tlce to all arts of tie Territory, uu ar-
count Of the dlssimEiasity # lis two
great sections, aad particularly on Sound
iS compared with tie V.a:Iies OF Faster
Washington.
This demand for arbitrary regulation
of fre.ghts and .lr.s comes from the
counties of Walia Walia, Columbia. Gar
field and " hitman- where railroads are
already buIit. Nalla WaI!a, with l277
square miles, has total II = Ial,e- #
railroad main an. side tracks; Co.uInb.a.
with III square miles, has q total q; % 6
miles ot *; Garfield, with I'D squire
miles. has II miles OF railway within her
borders, while WTitmar. with 2I2I
square miles, has llU5 mics Of railroad
track. These four couatiea have a. a.
srcgate Of J057 square miles which Gc
duct i from 66,S $50 square miles, the lat
ter being the land erea Of the whole
Territory. unOPpEesscd to de same de-
gree by exSussiVe railroad charges.
largely II not wholly without railroads
at all, aud whose great crying need IS
l,U1gt 4 r
through them, TO the cad that thcv may
become developed into ii grand and Drp
uious commonwealth. and to the end
that competing lines Of traffic and travel
may afford needed facilities for the pea-
pie and reduce fEeights aud fares by the
very facilities which they include. The
true policy to pursue. for the best inter
ests OF the whole Territory, should ha
that which wall encourage Investment IF
outside capital in the great Iuca! rail-
rond enterprises that are budding into
existence. The Pugt, Sound basin,
hitherto SO slightly developed. except
along Its shore line where water trans
portation touches has become recaally
the field OF several prospective raiIroud
ventures. The Seattle Lake Shore &
Eastern" the Seattle & Bellinghan.
Bay" the Olympia & Chehalis Valley ,
other local companies have been formed
have had preliminary surveys made. or
have advanced from one so another IF
the hrst steps toward launching /. cir
various enterprises upon the sea of COM
merce as permanent iIveStmenrs-and
all are negotiating in the money eeaters
OF the east for the capital necessary to
their successful existence. CAPITALISTS 9re
favorably impressed with this as a pro.
titable field for investment, yet they are
specially timid because of the Intense
anti-railroad agitation that has been
fOmented in our last two political cam
paigns, and the fear they have lest cur
legislature may enact such hostile meas
ures as will make extensive investments
among US in railroad enterprises unde-
sirable.
The great Northern Pacific has built
Its road by reason of a muGiicent land
grant; still its balance-sheet shows Il
much narrower margin of profit than
most business mon desire as induce
ments TO place their capital. For the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1887, the
Northern Pacific had as income from all
sources Sl3,263. .Sl455. During the same
period its expenses amounted to Sl3,-
19S, lUI "a; leaving, as net come to be
divided among its stockholders but $685.
707.20. or only three fourths OF one per
cent on all the capital invested. Yes,
narrow margin, truly! But what shall
we say o: the other ventures tba. rave
no land grants or other subsidies?
Should they not receive all the encour-
agement possible? There chances for
profits are still less than those of the
great subsidized corporation.
Rearneyism drove thirty millions of
dollars out of San Francisco in single
day. Vrbitrary legislation in Washing
ton Territory, fixing limit low enough
to secure relief from the excessive char
ges complained of by Walia Walla, Co.
lumbia, Whitman and Garfield counties,
particularly in Western Washington,
where the cost per mile for railroad
building Is necessarily so great 1t
would turn aside contemplated penetra.
ton of our Territory of connecting links
or feeders from the Canadian Pacific
road in British Columbia, deficit ] i'm
Hills road from the East from its CON
templaIed penetration of our Territory,
and virtually paralyZe all onward move
ment in constructing new lines on ouI
soil, besides operating to give lines al
ready built a virtual monopoly of the
sections now operated by them. Shall
the interests OF four counties be allowed
to ieopardiZe the interests OF twenty
nine counties?
Adopted at Port Townsend ". T.
this seventeenth day of January, a. D.
1883.
RRRRY EANoEs,
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