The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-08-25
President Van Horne, Of the Canadian
Pacific Railroad, Talks About
the Pacific Roads.
His Line, He Says, Not an Eager Com
petitor for Business to the
Pacific Coast.
Manager Towne and Other American Kali
way nagnates Scored for the Way
They do Business.

CHICAGO, Aug. 2.-President Van
Horne, of the Canadian Pacific railway, IN
an elaborate interview published here to-
day regarding the movement TO restrict
competition of Canadian roads in the Uni
ted States, says: "ln this case Judge
Cooley has apparently formed his opinion
without giving the defendant an opportun-
ity 70 be heard. The Canadian Pacihc is
not and never has been an eager competi-
tor for freight trafic between the eastern
and the Pacific coast states. 1t has an ar-
bitary rate TO its connections at both or It's
terminals on such traffic. and those arol-
tary rates leave TOO little profit to make the
traffic worth fighting for. The trans-conti-
mental association was formed in January,
1888. and the Canadian Pacific Joined 1t at
the beginning.
To the end of January last, the first full
year of the association, out OF q total OF
50. 900 tons of freight within the Jurisdic-
ton of the association, the CANADIAN "a
cinc carried less than 1S,OOO tons, OF ABOUT
one ffty-fifth of the whole, ana this IN
cluded its own British Columbia freight.
Since January it has carried q some what
larger proportion. possibly or per cent /,
but this is far less than II 10 entitled 70 as
one of the four or five competing lines.
plants of the other Pacific lines about the
effect of over competing. The Canadian
Pacific was used by them ss bug-bear IN
their attempt TO prevent the passage OF the
Interstate commerce act ana It's use ee
bug bear has been continued for the pur-
pose of obtaining q modification OF the act. !"
Speaking OF the testimony given oy
Manager Towne, Of the southern Pacific,
before the senate committee, Van Horne
said: "The long and short OF IL seems 70 De
that the Canada Pacific should be excluded
from competition with the American Pa
ciflc lines because of its light capital
charges, as compared with theirs; but Mr..
Towne did not say, as he might trutnfuily
have done, that the Canada Pacinc was
built for cash by those who intended 70
permanently hold and work IL; that no
profits were taken by construction com
panies or credit mObiliers, snf that It's
bonds and stock represent sctUrl cash In
vested, not subsidies, but cash from private
sources Nor did be say that IN The case OF
his own line, the Central Pee nc, and IN
the case of some others of the Pacific
lines, enormous construction pronts were
taken out, and that those enormous pronts,
which were divided up BY construction
companies and credit mObiliers. are now
represented by the bonds and stock upon
which, according 10 Mr. Towne, the in
terest and dividends were imperiled by the
competition of the Canadian Pacific. do
not believe that the memory OF the Amerl-
can people is SIS short as Mr.. Towne seems
TO think.
''They have not forgotten how their Pa
ci6c roads were built nor how the Central
Pacific conducted its monopoly in the Pa
cific coast trade for so many years Surely
il will be long before the people OF Call
fornis will forget it."