New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-23
PRESIDENT MELLEN'S VIEWS.

President Charles 5. Mellen Of the Northern Pa
cnc Railway Company. who has been in this city
for the last week. is optimistic regarding the crop
outlook and well satisfied with the present condi-
ton and the prospects of his road In an interview
IN wall Street Topics this week Mr. Mellen says;
The crop outlook is very good. Unless frost
,ntervenes very soon the Manitoba wheat crop is
safe and IL will be a very big The crop In the
Red River Valley and in parts of Minnesota nave
been considerably damaged by hail. rain ana mood
but Providence has been kind to the Northern Pa
cnc and has dealt very gently with the crops along
that line. Our crops are on high and arid lands
and while there has been plenty OF moisture, there
has not been too much OF IT, and the crops have
prospered; vet they will grade quite as high
as last year That, however. will not AFFECT US
Though the crops will not be as large this year,
there will be just much wheat TO move as usual,
because the farmers have so much in reserve that
the deficiency will be fully made up. This applies
70 both the eastern and western ends Of the road
The greatest difficulty which the Northern Pacific
will have to contend with this year Is lack OF
equipment to carry the grain. Although we nave
nurchased all the cars available we have been un-
able to secure enough to carry the crops, and do
not know what we going to do about II
"Our business the last year has been larger than
ever before We never had much passenger traf-
dc as during this summer, and our freight receipts
have broken all records Our annual report wnlch
will be issued the latter part of September VIII De
that the Northern Pacific has been operated for II
per cent Of its receipts. which Is very slight IN
crease over last year The percentage Of operation
last year was 46 per cent. The Northern Pacific
can be operated any year under % per cent
Whether there will be any change in dividends l
cannot say The Board Of Trustees will decide that
question probably next month
The Northern Pacific will complete its Manitoba
extension this fall. 1t is only twenty-eiSht miles
long That is the only building in immediate con-
formulation Nothing more will be done In the
Clearwater territory for some time. Our trouble
with the Oregon Railroad and Navigation is In such
satisfactory shape that shall be at peace out
there"
The North Dakota Board Of Equalization has in
creased railroad assessments in that State from
5000 to $500 a mile which means an increase of
about $1,000 In taxes for the Northern Paclhc and
$1,000 for the Great Northern. and in referring to
that action Mr.. Mellen said:
The North Dakota officials simply acting
from motives Of revenge. They the men
who tried compel us to reduce our rates In that
State last year and who were beaten in the courts
because we proved that our North Dakota business
at our own rates did not pay operating expenses
in that State. If they cannot get more money from
us IN one way they are bound to do so In another
Such an increase Of assessment as they nave nHed
am1 nts to conhscaton. for II reduces our earnings
in that State by just much money The only
thing for us to do is TO raise our rates TO cover
the loss in operating expenses which would suffer
II we acquesced in the assessment
Mr. Mellen was interested in the report that
number Of railroads are seriously considering the
advisability OF building their cars in order 10
become independent Of the Car Trust He did net
place much reliance upon II.
THE Car Trust has not yet advanced the price
Of equipment TO such point that II would be proht
able for railroad companies 70 build their own
cars" he said. at would be possible for a number
Of railroads to combine ard build plant to turn
out cars for their joint use but that IS hardly prob
able Al least, I have not heard OF any such move