The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-05-16
RAILROAD DOINGS.
President Hill, Of the Manitoba,
Testifles Before the Senate
Committee.

NEW YORK. May S.-The senate committee,
which is investigating the workings Of the
interstate commerce law and the matter OF
the Canadian roads doing business in and
with this country, resumed its labors
promptly at 10 o'clock this morning in the
Fifth Avenue hotel. Senator Hiscock was
the only member of the committee absent
President J. j. Hill, OF the St. Paul, Minneap-
oils Il Manitoba railroad, was present to tell
what he knew about railroads and his W
in particular. but the first witness called by
Chairman Cullom was President Charles
Francis Adams, of the Union Pacific road.
Mr.. Adams thought the interstate COM
'Derce law in many cases a cluel one; those
who obeyed it lost by its operation, and
those who evaded it, profited. Il should like,
however, to see it universally obeyed and
given q fair trial" he said, sand, since Jan.
l, l really believe that the law has been bet
ter obeyed than ever before" Mr.. Adams
thought that q common railroad law be-
tween Cadada and tho United States, and a
]egalized pool, would be a good thing and
would tend to bring about a solution of the
present troubles in reference to Canadian
roads.
IF you think the Interstate law is a good
thing then where does all the opposition come
4IolAt hShCO OSAdVOA q
you must remember that the country has
been built up on a system Of distribution, which
the interstate law shakes to its foundation. The
long and short haul clauses give in effect to the
smaller cities, manv of the advantages hereto
fore exclusively enjoyed by the larger cities. aud
the consequence is that in a city like San Fran
cisco the opposition Is very strong"
In conclusion the witness said that while
nominally the president of the Union Pacific
railroad, he really knew but little Of its
practical workings, n referred to the COM
mittee Of the members Of the Union Pacific
railroads executive staff at Omaha. Presi-
dent James J. Hill, OF the s. Paul, Minneapo-
lis & Manitoba railroad, was the first wit
ness called after recess. He described in
detail the subsidies and government
GIFTS OF N LAM
to the Canadian Pacific road already referred
to by General Manager Hickson, of the Grand
Trunk road, and Senator German, evidently
with some purpose in view, questioned the
witness for a long while oo the subject of the
Canadian Pacific. Mr.. Hills remarks were
often full of information, but on mony lead
ing questions his memory was apparently
bad. He gave an account of the probable
Thu Canadian Pacific road, he said, had a
fast line OF steamers running from it's West
ern terminus to Asia and from it's Eastern
terminu to Liverpool.
I'm eighteen months" said he, II fully expect
one can travel from New York to Yokohama in
two weeks.
as there much foreign trade-Asia trade
coming over the Canadian Pacific road?" asked
Chairman Cullom.
Considerable. Some comes over our load
destined for Omaha"
Chairman Cullom-Why does it take such a
round bout course?
Probably because 5 or 6 cents a hundred
pounds is an inducement. We have a Different
rate, and as time is no object it pays to take ad-
vantage OF the lower rate"
Switching over to the eastern terminus of the
whether or not the road in question was not try
ing to get an outlet across the State OF Maine.
and after a crOss-questionO or two Chairman Gull
lom asked: What if we made Canada a part of
American"
well. I think the Canadians would make good
Americans" answered Mr.. Hill with a smile.
Tie witness Also treated his hearers to an
exhaustive address on the question of the
application OF water routes to railroad rates,
and concluded by making a statement that
along the shallow waterways, such as the
Mississippi river, railroads could be con-
st,ucted along he levees which could trans
port freight cheaper than the high-pressure
steam boats.
Erastus Wiman mex took the witness chair.
"The construction of the Canadian railways, :"
he said, @has done moe to contribute to a
closer relationship between the East and
West than anything else" Mr.. Wiman spoke
strongly in favor Of commercial reciprocity,
and figured out how in that event OF that as
an assured fact Canadian territory would at
once be built up by emigration from Europe
and largely from the United States.