The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-17
STABILITY OF RATES.
Advantage Expected From
Railroad Combination.
THE VIEWS or SAMUEL HILL.
No More Speculative Railroad Build
ing, but New Lumber Mills VIII
Come With Better Times.

Most o. US have felt the hard times.
said Samuel Hill. president OF the Mime
apoiis Trust Company and OF the Great
Northeru's proprietary lines, yesterday
I'VE are not all geniuses ike James J.
Hill. who can make good times out OF
bad, but ! believe that things are I'M
proving
Asked concerning the much-talked-of
reorganization plan and contemplated
combination OF the Northern Pacific and
Great Northern roads. Mr.. Hill said:
II am not in a position TO know any
thing in regard TO the Great Northern
and Northern Pacific matters. However.
let me say that / believe the era OF specu-
lative railroad building is over. Before
more money can be secured for invest
ment in the state of Washington. the
Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern, the North
ern Pacific and other railways in the
hands OF receivers will have 10 be re-
organized and placed on paying basis.
There seems TO me to be marked I'M
proyenrent in the lumber and shingle bust
ness since / was here before. and already
the lumbermen OF the Eastern states are
making inquiries about Pacific coast luin-
Der points. 7 believe that early next
spring there viii be many new numbering
enterprises started on the Coast, unless
natural conditions change materially FOR
the worse which do not now anticipate"
pie get tired Of hearing a man talk If he
has nothing 10 say. l wish | had some
thing more of interest to tell you, put /
have learned that what man says for
publication sometimes goes a good way.
For instance. the interview | had with
the Post-Intelligencer representative when
/ was here last was reprinted and COM
mented on editorially in the Railway Age
and other Eastern papers.
"Of course, a combination of the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific properties
would be an unpopular move People
would believe that an immediate advance
in rates would be made. But you nor i
ever heard of railroad rates being raised.
They are always going down. What the
shipper of freight needs most is stability
In rates If man across the street orders
a large consignment OF goods and has 10
pay a certain freight rate on IL, he wants
to be sure that his competitor in business
cannot get the same class of goods deliv-
cred at a lower rate. That Is why / say
X is not so much lower rates people want
as stability in rates. II the Great North
ern and Northern Pacific and the o. r. &
y. and all these Western roads were run
in conjunction. so that connections would
be made at the various meeting places.
IL would be to the benefit OF all, instead
of each road running TO suit simply its
own convenience. as now. In fact. there
would be a great many advantages in
such a combination"
Mr.. Hill Is a very pleasant gentleman
TO meet. He is a well built man, taller
than the average. fun bearded. and with
a blue eye that lights up with a smile
when he takes your hand and tells you
how glad he is 10 see you, and how he
wishes he had something interesting 10
tell you. He was In the city on personal
business connected with the Seattle Gas &
Electric Light Company. of the bonds OF
which company he is quite a large holder.
He and his party will be in the city several
days. and from here viii go 10 Fairhaven
and other points on the road.
The Royal Baking Powder is the purest
and strongest baking powder made, and
has received the highest award at all the