The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-12-12
HAS BUILT A PLENTY
HE IS AVERSE TO FURTHER
CONSTRUCTION
SOME WESTERN TALES FALSE

ma-He Also Denies That He
Has Secured Control of the Pa
ciflc Steamship Company - In
spected the Western Line.
President James J. Hill, of the Great
Northern Railway company, yesterday
returned from his trip to the coast. He
was accompanied by his son, James N.
Hill, Vice President Darius Miller,
Chief Engineer N. D. Miller and Gen
eral superintendent Frank e. Ward,
with whom he inspected the entire
Great Northern system
I'VE had very pleasant trip" said
President Hill last evening to g. re-
porter for The G. o b g. 1--WE went to
the coast to see the condition of the
road and to plan such improvements as
may be necessary. The report that 1T
Is my intention to build new lines and
eEter Into a fight with the Northern
Pacific or any other line lis all rot. My
desire Is rather to stop building ex-
tensions. There is no truth whatever
that we shall construct a road to Re-
public. There is no chance Of such a
line. The report that 1 have bought
Union Pacific grade between Portland
and Tacoma is equally untrue. So is
the rumor that the Great Northern will
be extended to Tacoma I have no
idea Of building to Tacoma. Nor is
there any foundation for the story that
we contemplate building a road along
the Clearwater to parallel the Northern
Pacific.
NOT A STEAMSHIP MAGNATE.
Another misgtatement," continued
MI. Hill, sis that I have gained con-
troll Of the Pacific Coast Steamship
company. 1 haven't half a dollar in
that company. 7 did not see a steam
ship man while was away"
Mr.. Hill was asked If he believed a
new trans-Pacific steamship line was
soon to be started.
81 have not heard of such a line" he
said
Three quarters Of the stories con-
cerAing the Great Northern and other
lines" continued Mr.. Hill. emphatical-
ly, "are imaginary"
The reporter asked Mr. Hill his opin-
ion as to the business prospects in the
far West.
"They are good" he said. 'grhe out
look is very encouraging. The coast
cities have only to go to work and de-
velop their trade themselves and not
wait for some one to do 1t for them,
and they will prosper
While in Seattle, Mr.. Hill expanded
upon this subject to reporter for the
Post -Intelligencer, which published the
following interview with him;
AS TOLD IN SEATTLE
'It Is vastly of more interest to this
coast what is doing out on the Pacific
ocean than in Wall street." said Mr.
Hill, land your growth will be largely
| augmented by the increase Of the COM
merce of the Pacific ocean. That should
be your field Of operation and you want
to turn your faces to the West for the
future prosperity of this section of the
country Your business with the East
ern portion of the United States Is
something that you already have and
is in the country; but the other you
have yet to get; you are entitled to a
large share OF 1t and you can get it
by proper and systematic attention and
| following up Of the matter.
'Take a birdseye view Of this com
mercial situation. Look to the East
and you find some 50, 200, 900 people who
want but q small fraction of anything
that you can produce here; on the
other hand, look to the West, across
| the Pacific ocean, and you have 500,000,-
coo people who want everything you
can produce and at your own price.
"You have not much to send East;
your fish find competitor in the fish
Of the Atlantic coast, and your lumber
is your best product, whereas these and
all your other products, flour, etc, are
eagerly wanted in the West. AS Japan
has been opened up to the world Of
commerce, so will China be, and that
before very long; Great Britain has In
dia, and there is no reason why we
should not have our Orient.
1.-The field is there, the opportunity
is ripe, and Seattle does not want to
overlook her chance. In other words,
you want more commerce with the
Orient
"How are you going to do It? By
having more ships. Commerce invari-
ably follows the flag. European nations
are at each others throats at the pres
ent time in consequence of each being
after this trade. What is the United
States doing about it? Practically
nothing. The ships at present sailing
under the American flag cannot begin
to compete with European nations 1t
| is a notorious fact that every govern
| ment in Europe fosters it's shipping in
| terest and makes 1t it's business The
| United States does not do SO; in fact,
it is equally notorious that in the last
four years the United States has not
| paid 25 cents on the dollar of what 1t
has cost for carrying the mails All
| foreign countries do so; they foster
their trade, especially their marine
commerce. See what Germany is do
ing for her marine commerce, what
Great Britain has done and what
France proposes doing.
1.-THE United States, on the contrary.
| by its restrictive, burdensome legisla-
| ton, seeks to drive It's flag off the
ocean. Before the Civil war we had a
large ocean traffic in our own ships.
Confederate privateers caused change
Of registry to foreign flags which,
however, would have been but tenn
porary had our government shown less
temper and more intelligence. we, as
a nation, pay not less than $3.50, ,O00 900
q year to carry our export products to
foreign markets, and we pay that to
foreign ship owners.
"On the land. railroad transportation
in the United States has, on the ay-
| erage less than ona-haff +ba ro+or -