The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-25

A. NaysgAtton system which has Is ter
rainsm In Portland. Oregon: ths ofher be-
Ing a hrzncn OF the NovtheTn Pacific. run
ring from Spokane -outaeaste-ly through
Whitman ooaEty. and crossing tire Oregon
Railway & Navigation cenpany's lines
az two different yosntx
TIE Oregon Railway Navigation Com
panv Is az interstate Ire. Il Is beTond TIRE
powers q the Washington legislature 20
tx the price wAsca that road s1al
charge for hauling wheat from the Pa
iouzs country 70 Portland. Oregon. ard
consequently that road ~ entirely unsnect-
81 By tns provisions OF the bill. IN add
ton 70 tais TIE Oregon Railway & Navi-
gztbon Company has no mountain grades
70 cross with ia lines. The haul Is down
grade al the way from the Palouse coun-
try 20 the terTnisus of ths Ans.
The legislature cannot compel any raii-
road 70 60 business az so<s. Wei In
formed railroad men assert ,1at the rate
fixed ~ the proposed law Is down very
csose 20. r. IL does not actually reach. ths
point az which TIE actual cost 10 the CON-
pany for the haul wogld be greater than
the conpenxa lion allowed by law. n this
be true, and there Is good reason 20 be-
hsys IL. the action OF the legislature
would simply have the effect that tho rail-
road companies would decline TO handle
any further wheat shipments acro. the
mountains. and would hereafter act sim
psy as feeders TO the Oregon Railway &
Navigation connpany's system with which
they al have connections. and with which
1t would De a very simple matter TO e.
tablish traffic arrangements BIZ which the
Washington roads would receive q better
return for their trafie than they could
receive under the state law. TIE haul
across the mountains could be avoided
altogether. and Portland would again mon
opoiizs the entire wheat trade OF Eastern
Washington. IA she did before the Cascade
division OF the Northern Pacific was butt.
This is simply recital Of bald facts
which any sensible man who cares 10 look
into the subject can see for hignsesf The
action OF the legislature would not result
in reducing the freight rate 10 the farmers
one single cent. The rates to Portland
would remain as they have been fixed
by thu interstate commerce commission.
The farmers would. however. lose the COM
peting market for their grain. which
would mean a matter OF two or three cents
a busbel, as they would speedily find out
Should the legislature bs foolish enough
to legis.ats to drive the traflc out OF the
state.
The INJURY would be serious one to
both sections Of the state. TIE handling OF
wheat has become an important industry
in both Seattle and Tacoma. Large ele-
waters have been built at both points. and
a large feet OF vesse.s are now employed
dollars ara annually dlsbursed in these
ports In this commerce.
The passage OF the proposed law would
absolutely destroy this business. would d.
vert al OF the wheat TO the Oregon market.
and would build up rival city at the ex-
penss OF the cities OF Puget sound. II
would be worth millions 10 Oregon. and
would not save a cent 10 Washington,
should the BIZ become law.
The lower house OF the legislature seems
to have a blind hostility to every local In
dustry. II proposes to ruin the salmon IN
dusiry for tho benefit OF Oregon and Brit
isA Columbia. and the grain handling bus
iness for the benefit Of Portland. The d.
version OF capital from the state on ac-
count OF the mere threat OF Popu!lst leg
station was what was feared would
result from the election Of the present leg
islature. That would be but a mild evil
70 those which threaten from pending .eg-
islation. which seems aimed to destroy the
existing Industries OF the state on which
our people rely FOR their subsistence.