The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-24
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC RAIL
ROAD


Northern. has obtained complete control
OF the Northern Pacific railroad or not.
tt IL certain that he ~ TO have a large
share IN directing the policy OF the Older
road. should the proposed reorganiza-
Sion scheme take effect. and on the whole
Il Is a good thing Tor this section OF the
country that he should have such control.
The consideration that such union OF
interests Will tend 10 cut of competition
Is not OF very serious import. In view OF
the fact that competition between rail-
roads is not at the present day much or
a factor in fixing rates. Competition only
exists spasmodicalIy. during temporary
rate war. and generally ends promptly
with an agreement for the division OF
SPOTS. All permanent reductions In
freight which this section OF country has
seen are those made voluntarily by the
companies for the purpose OF getting the
freight to move by bringing trassporta-
ton charges down to the point where
there Is profit in producing and ship
ping. This was the cause OF the lower
ing OF the rates on lumber and shingles.
and not any competition between the
roads.
The policy which Il is announced that
the Northern Pacific will adopt under the
reorganization scheme will, IL followed
out, do great deal more for the develop
ment OF the country than the building of
another transcontinental line. II 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 a very low
figure.
This Is an exhibition OF sound business
policy. The company could go a step
further with profit to itself. From the
standpoint of dollars and cents alone
there would be money in it for the COM
pany to give it's land away in small
amounts 10 actual settlers. who 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 10 market equal to from % TO 50
per cent. of what the land itself would
sell for.
Every acre OF ground put in cultivation
means that much added to the gross in
come of the company. If every forty
acre tract of available farming land with
in the grant of the Northern Pacific was
in the hands of an actual settler who
farmed it. the company would do the
largest business OF any transcontinental
railroad in the country, and could bid a
long farewell to receiverships and mort
gage foreclosures. and its stock would
have rather more than a speculative
value.
Mr.. Hin has been the pioneer among
the owners OF transcontinental railroads
in following the policy of building up and
developing the country traversed by his
lines. with a view to the ultimate profits
10 he reaped. while nearly all the other
companies have followed the narrower
and pennywise policy of grasplng for
everything in sight, by pillng on all the
traffic would bear as the rule in estab-
fishing freight rates. The former policy,
in addition 10 being the most profitable
in the long run from a business stand
point. has had the effect of creating a
friendly feeling toward Mr. Hits road
among all the people living along it's line,
in marked contrast with the general SEN
timent felt in farming communities to-
wards the railroads on which they are
dependent for transportation.
Should Mr.. Hil's ideas and practices In
this respect be followed In the new man
agement of the Northern Pacific, new In
dustrles viii rapidly develop In all por-
lions OF the country trsversed by the
road. and the railroad companies and the
country at large Will concurrently benefit
thereby.