The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16
WHY James ]. Hill Wanted the
Spokane Gateway Opened.
BEo apER MARKETFoR MlLLMEN
Great Northern willing to Make
Sacrifice I'm Order to Give Puget
sound Lumber and shingles New
ana More Extensive Territory
Compensating Concessions Have
Ilccn Made on Both sides.

Speaking of the Spokane gateway by
which the Puget sound lumber and shin
gle mills will find vast territory for
their products a prominent officer of the
Great Northern in this city said yester-
day to a Post-Intelligencer reporter:
THE agreement entered into by the
Great Northern. Union Pacific, Oregon
Short Line and o. r. & N. which pro-
yides for the interchange of business at
Spokane. is a reciprocal one and perfectly
legitimate without any one of the parties
in interest granting any greater con-
cession than the other excepting, per-
haps. the Great Northern. Mr.. HILL who
keeps in close touch with every Industry
on this Coast likely to bring in revenue
to his road, has long ago discovered that
the lumber and shngle interests of this
Northwest needed a broader market In
order that they might be developed to
their fullest capacity. This however.
could not be done without some traffic
arrangement with the Union Pacific and
the other connecting roads. Mr.. Hill
worked to that end and his success is an
evidence of his thorough knowledge of
the political economies of the Puget
sound country.
80 impressed was Mr.. Hill with the
Importance of this Spokane gateway to
Puget sound millmen, and of its ultimate
beneficial results to the Great Northern
ds Wtil, tHdt lie WAS WlllinS 10 make some
concession in order to open up the new
field of operation to timber and shingles.
Mr.. Hill is not looking for immediate re-
turns TO the Great Northern but 1t is
only question of time when the re-
turns will come.
cit Is reciprocity. pure and simple. We
allow the Union Pacific to come into our
territory to secure competitive business
and in return they have opened up their
territory for the marketing of Puget
sound lumber and shingles. We have also
reasoned that this new gateway, by Gre
ating a greater demand for lumber and
shingles, will have the effect of inducing
the opening up of new lot of shfngle
producing capacity and larger shipments
to points on the Union Pacific from
which the Puget sound has hitherto been
shut on It's simple business PROPOSE
tien on large scale.
Yes, II is true that the Great Northern
allows the Union Pacific to name in it's
tariffs the same rates from the East
through to the Coast as the former has
been making; in other words, that their
transcontinental tariffs are the same.
There is nothing singular in this and it
the territory opened up by the Union Pa
ellie to the Puget sound milmen.'
The Minneapolis Times of December II
on the same subject says:
This feature strikes railroad officials
as very singular. They find 1t hard to
believe that the Great Northern has
given the Union Pacific consent to bid
for business terminating in Great North
ern territory, which the Union Pacific has
been unable to handle up to the present
time.
1T will be recalled that the Northern
Pacific and Union Pacific fought hard in
the courts a few years ago because the
Union Pacific named the same tariff into
Puget sound territory that the Northern
Pacific was making, notwithstanding that
the former paid to the latter full local
tariff rates on all business carried by the
Northern Pacific from Portland north to
Puget sound points. The Northern Pa
cifc won out. Now, according to the I'M
derstandlng Of local officials, the Great
Northern agrees to take business from
tho Union Pacific at Spokane west to the
Coast. some $50 miles. thus depriving
itself of the revenue which would be
gained from the twin cities west.
Just what big concession the Union
Pacific has made to the Great Northern
to even up this has not been disclosed.
The agreement Is the more noteworthy
contrasted with the Northern Pacific
Burlington agreement at Billings. While
the Northern Pacific takes care of the
Burlingtons business for the Coast at
Billings. 1t is simply that business which
originates In Missouri river territory The
Burlington is not allowed to go to New
England points and quote the same rate
to the Coast that the Northern Pacific
makes"