The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-13


tions OF these gentlemen we're OF an inter-
esting character. and showed that the rail-
roads have suffered In common with all
others during the trying period of depres-
sion. and revealed the necessity for exer-
cising caution and justice in dealing with
them. The effect OF drastic legislation.
they declared. would be TO virtually con-
flscate the roads, as most OF them are now
Oeing operated at a positive loss. All were
opposed 20 the provisions of senate bill 20.
one OF the interesting facts brought out
was that the Washington law compelling
the inspection of grain tended TO drtve
wheat from the Sound TO Portland. be-
cause a small fee was exacted.
The meeting was moved a little BY the
Introduction OF a foolish resolution at hs
close TO the effect that as the railroads
had become bankrupt through the opera
tions OF a gold standard. the hat be passed
for their relief The Joke was the rarkest
OF horse-p play. and was far beneath the
dignity of the legislature OF tho state OF
Washington.
q. R. a n. Deficit.
At the meeting OF the senate commit
tee Mai McNeill gave some figures
concerning the operation OF that portion
OF the o. r. & y. system located In
Washington. The figures were for the
year ending June 30. 1896. They were az
follows:
Gross passenger receipts .sleSS10 90
Gross freight receipts ............. ets. sbs 50
Miscellaneous receipts ............ A4ia 90
Total earnings s9i2 Tss 20
Total expenses ......s....-.-s.s.... sSsl.s.S ~
Paid for taxes ...,......s......--..- aeess 20
Deficit 49,. ........................-. Sshs 10
The average price per ton per mile for
freight was cent and mills. The av-
erage price per mile for passengers was
cents and mills.
Nal Mcneil explained that OF the s2t.-
000. 600 capital stock OF the company but
81 GO 900 was water The remainder OF
the capital stock represented actual
money that had been put into the COM
pany.
II the provisions Of the bill were carried
into operation 10 would work a great hard
ship on the .. Y. a y, as the rates now
were 50 low that there was no profit In
them. He said the rates had been reduced
greatly IN the past eight or ten years. The
Walla WalIa rate. for instance. had been
cut from s4.70 10 $40 and finally to Ss5o.
These reductions in the past ten years had
made a difference of over a million dol
lars.
The mileage Of the road had been In
creased In the past few years
from 700 miles TO over 900 miles.
and the Increase was principally In WASH
ington. and yet the gross earnings are not
now equal 70 what they were before the
additional mileage was constructed. Un-
der tho operations of the Miller bin the
.. r. & y. would not be able 20 pay any
more than operating expenses. ard the re-
sult would be that the road would be
thrown into bankruptcy.
In response 20 a question by Miller OF
Wslla walia as 70 what he thought OF a
railroad commission. Major McNeili re-
piled that Il depended a great deal on the
personnel of the comnf ssion. In his opin-
ion one commissioner should be n good
lawyer. another a good business man and
the third a good railroad man. Such
railroad commission. he thought, would be
effective. Then Major Mcneil went on
70 state THAI he thought a horizontal reduc-
tlon was unfair.
Nff-er ~ Wana Waua said The committee
had about come 20 The conclusion that a
horizontal reduction would not be put in
the hiu.
wheat Grower. Wen situatrd.
Major NrNeill. continuing, sa'd:
Take wheat for instance. n r. worth
from s cents 70 n cents more per bushei
~ Seattle and Tacoma than ~ Chicago.
The reason IS that Il goes 20 China. India
and south America In the shape OF flour.
This trade. he thought. woulf grow un-
III II would take All the wheat raised in
washington. oregon md California 10
SUPPLY g.
The total Weld OF wheat in oregon and
Washington IN 1895 was 1i.0a0.0oo bushels.
Then he made comparisons of The yield or
wheat ard other crops "a other parts OF
the f+ulon and claimed that Tho oregon
Railway e. Navigation Company was haul
ing wheat eheape than were the roads In
any other section ot the Union.
''H1va you ever given rebates on waiia
Wala fre.whts7" asked Chairman Crow.
NO. sir" was he reply.
The existing rates. be said were hxed
~ the Interstate commerce commission
during period ~ great depression. and
wren wheat was selling a the very low
price of 81 cents per busneI, II the con-
dlfens were then as they are now thu
high ra.e would not have been changed.
The Law Means More Bankruptcy.
n. r. Tyler. president os the washing-
ton 4 Columbia River railroad. made q
staten m tfat fhe road vas huiit dur
ing fhs aash times. There was no water"
in tHe reads apftai stock or bonds. The
I bonded IadFbseauese waa but g. SO 90.
ard the aTe1 charges were about 10000
rer annurn II has is3 niles OF track.
The net JOSS on the road was s5s go in
lses and in isas ths loss vas fS.iias. The
o..sraf.0ns - the Miller bin would De 70
make IL Impossible 70 operate the road.
It VIII come az near ooniscafion as 1t is
uoss be to make &C.. Sad NJ. TYEer-
Miner gf Ths~sson asked u II vas right
that the railroad should be allowed 70
Z earn operating expenses and hxsd charges
while those who were living along the line
cou.a not DO 80.
'f alH say" replied Mr.. Tyler. that
the railroads have led the procession os
+ ba uErIpts - fhe railroads ars not per-
mirtsl - 0o lhls there viii Dc no more
+ baNI"
1T 1t q -
freight charge was pAtd 80 the Northern
PariGc. NJ Tyler rep.isa that he did not
care - state unfli hs had seen the North
/ ern Paeifc peoEfe. he did not care 70 dis
+ close bis hand 10 Major AcNsili. who rep
resented q rival road
No Reduction wanted.
r. " Baird. general ger os ths
Everett & Monte CFisto. said that the oSe-