The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-05-30
LOCAL DEVELOPENENT
The Policy of the Great North
ern Road.
WILL BE PUT ln EFFECT
On the N P. if Hill Gets Control--.
Lands to be Put in Hands of Set
tiers Columbia Valley.

In commenting on Hills control of tn
Northern Pacific the Seattle p. 1. make
the following statement:
whether President Hill of the Grea
Northern has obtained complete contro
of the Northern Pacific railroad or not
1t is certain that he is to have larE,
share in directing the policy of the oldei
road, should the proposed reorganiza
tion scheme take effect, and on the whole
1t is good thing for this section of the
country that he should have such con.
troll.
The policy which 1t is announced that
the Northern Pacific will adopt under tn
Reorganization scheme will, II followed
out, do great deal more for the develop
ment of the country than the building OF
another transcontlnental line. It is
claimed that one step will be TO get all
the granted lands Of the company In the
hands of actual settlers and producers as
rapidly as possible, and to that end the
prices are to be cut down to very low
figure.
This is an exhibition Of sound business
policy. The company could go step
further with profit to itself From the
standpoint of dollars and cents alone
there would be money in 1t for the COM
pany to give Its land away In small
amounts to actual settlers, VINO would
obligate themselves to put the land IN
cultivation at once. The prairie lands OF
Eastern Washington now In wheat pay
an annual amount per acre into the rail-
road company for Transporting that
wheat to market equal 10 from 25 to 50
per cent. Of what the land itself wou;d
sell for.
Every acre Of ground put In cultivation
means that much added to the gross liz
come of the company. II every forty
acre tract of available farming land win
in the grant OF the Northern Pacific was
in the hands OF an actual settler VINO
farmed 1t, the company would do the
largest business OF any transcontinental
railroad in the country and could bid a
long farewell to recelverships and mort
gage foreclosures, and It's stock would
have rather more than speculative
value.
Mr.. Hill has been the pioneer among
the owners of transcontlnental railroads
in following the policy OF building up and
developing the country traversed by his
lines, with a view to the ultimate profits
to be reaped, while nearly all the other
companies have followed the narrower
and pennywlse policy of grasping FOR
everything in sight by pliing on all the
traffic would bear as the rule in estao-
fishing freight rates. The former policy,
In addition to being the most profitable
in the long run from a business stand
point, has had the effect Of creating II
friendly feeling towards Mr.. Hills ROAD
among all the people living along its lin
in marked contrast with the general sem
timent felt in farming communities TO-
wards the railroads on which they are
dependent for transportation.
Should Mr. Hlll's ideas and practices In
this respect be followed In the new man,
agement Of the Northern Pacific, new In
dustrles will rapidly develop in all por-
tlons Of the country traversd by tn
road, and the railroad companies and the
country at large will concurrently benefit
thereby"
Should 1t prove fact, and there Is
every evidence of 1t. that Hin will con-
troll the future OF the Northern Pacinc,
astoria would come in for It's share OF
the benefits ON the same lines. The new
road to Goble, connecting there with that
reat system. would naturally, even II
operated independently. follow the same
principles of local development which are
the life Of every prosperous railroad.
What is now largely a bowling wilder
ness would be made to blossom as the
rose and peace and plenty would abound.
A ready market could be had for tine
rancher's products OF all kinds. A
.argely Increased population would create
a home market for all fruits. vege-
tables and dairy products. while the best
possible prices could be obtained for GER
eals for export. With such a possible
condition Of affairs, and with the encour-
agement that would be given by the
broad management Of the railroads, ST
tiers would soon occupy the lands. In
creased farming population naturally
adds to the cities and towns, and soon the
rich northwest would be a new empire,
controlling the traffic of the Orient. now