The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-03-27
LENDS A HELPING HAND
Butte's Board Of Trade Endorses Ms
soula's Demand on the Railroad.
The Reasons Why Stop-Over Privi-
ieRes Should Be Granted Elk
planned at LenGth-Reso-
lutIons Adopted.
BY the standards Special Wire.

BUTTE, March 2.-Pursuant To the call
of President Mantle n meeting Of the
board of trade and citizens was held this
evening for the purpose Of meeting a
committee of the Missoula board Of trade
relative to discriminatory privileges
granted Spokane Falls and other WASH
inyton points as against Montana cities
and towns. The delegation was coni-
posed Of +. W. Mcconnell, president Of
the Missoula board; L. A. winstan-
ley, secretary, and w. III. Bennett
and +. G.. Higgins, members of the
hoard. The meeting, while not as large
as might have a. wished was a repre-
sentative gathering OF the Butte board 81
trade, an organization long known rs
having an apathy for meetings of all
kinds. Hon. Lee Mantle. president pre-
sided and i'm the absence of the secretary,
i. T.. Corbett was elected secretary pro-
TEN. Mr.. Mantle introduced the visitors
and then stated the object of their visit
and what they asked from the people of
Butte. The people of Missoula, il is said,
thought they had "A grievance against the
Northern Pacific Railroad company and
asked the assistance of Butte and
that wrong. Butte and every other town
of the west side has common interests
and should insist hat every privilege
granted To other points on the Northern
l'lclIlG Slntlu also DO tNtt'1lttu I'd tIlttll.
Mr.. Mcconnell then addressed the
meeting and asked that as representatives
Of the Missoula board of trade the COM
mittcc desired a hearing, and If after hav-
ing heard them the meeting desired To as
sist, that assistance would be gratefully
appreciated. On January ~. he said. the
Missoula Board of Trade had held n
meeting and forwarded a set of re-
solutions W the Northern Pacific compan
ut st. Paul, asking that the privilege Of
stopping over at Missoula he granted Ia
holders of ccond class tickets, the same
as was accorded holdcrs of such tickets nj
Spokane Falls.
In about "A month "A reply was received
from MIR. Hannaford, traffic manager of
the company, in which the request was
denied, and accompanying h refusal
was an explanation for doing So. Mr..
Hannaforl said that the ompa
did not grant stoIrovcrs on second
class tickets at any point between
81. Paul and Spokane Falls. Helena had
made the same request as Missoula and
also received "A refusal. The reason that
such privilege was granted Ia Spokane
Falls was that when b Northern Pacific
reached the coas il found that the South
crn Pacific companies were granting
stop-over privileges to certain cities on
the coast, and i'm self-dcfense the North
crn Pacific had To usc special efforts in
behalf of Washington territory. il be-
ihG tttEtlN ah 'ftiflt
and as the company's land depart
mcnt was made "A specially, il
found itself compelled Ia meet
this competition and accordingly issued
second-class tickets with stop-over privi-
legcs at Spokane Falls and points west OF
there, the company being particularly in
tcrcsted in securing the settlement of its
lands ~ that region. The tide Of cmigra-
ton To Oregon AMI 10 Washington was
not due TO this privilege but to other
causes, principally among which was the
natural tendency of population to drift
westward. Mr.. Hannaford said tina a re-
duction in first and second-class tick
cts To Missoula had been made in order 10
stimulate emigration in that direction and
hoped that il would ave the desired
effect.
Mr.. Mcconnell then began to analy,c
Mr.. H~annaford's letter and said that il
plainly showed the policy of the railroad
company. Ii desired Ia occupy two posi-
tons, that al "A common carrier and a
land owner. In its efforts 10 settle M the
extreme western end of it's line il was
working an injustice To Montana. The
company had been granted an
empire 10y the government and
ID was now cndeavoring TO build
up its interests AZ "a land owner regardless
Of its duties To- the public as IA common
carrier. The privilege enjoyed by Spok-
ane Falls had resulted in bcnefitting all
the adjacent country and enhancing pros
perity Of that city. Western Montana in
deer Lodge, Bitter Root, Flathead and
Frencbtown valleys had thousands of
acres Of az good agricultural land as could
other west side towns were ac-
corded privileges with these of Spok-
anc Falls and other favored
towns of Washington and Oregon thcr re-
suit would be- that this section would soon
he isa 'ss%i"s with nnao, happy l pr Sis;% =, and nd
railroad company that Montana had no
arabic lands and was rich only in mining
and grazing lands vas not true as inycsti-
CATION would show. The settlement Of
these lands would assist the entire state.
Mr.. Mcconnell spoke at great length on
Butte and every other town on the west
side would he benefited were the railroad
To grant Missoula tine privilege 1t was
asking.
George W. Irvine, ii, followed Mr.. Me-
Conncll and said there were certain feat
urcs i'm connection with the question at
issue thai he and Others did not under
stand and which should le explained. He
then asked James Mctaig, agent Of the
company, who was present tn explain the
company reason FOR refusing the request.
Mr.. McCaig said IL was partly "a question
OF evenu IL such privileges were
granted Missoula IL would result la the
%ruination OF the company's local business.
People desiring Co go 90 Montana
would buy tickets 70 the coast and
upon arrival at Missoula would sell them
To scalpcrs and others at rates much less
than the company was charging from
there To the coast. He explained the
matter at great length aud by suggestions
cases illustrated his remarks. The only
way 20 secure relief would be by follow
ing h Canadian example OF prohibiting
everybody except railroads from selling
tickets.
Other gentlemen spoke, principally Mr..
Irvine and Captain Lyons, both Of whom
said they were opposed To meddling in
the fight bctwcenMissoula and the railroad
company. Messrs. Hennessy, Kenyon and
Courtney favorcl taxing some action.
The debate grew minated and somewhat
bitter. Colonel Bradshaw finally moved
for the appointment Of a committee on