The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-11-08
Low n0MESEEKERs' RATES.
President Hill Will Attempt to Accomplish in
aFew Years What, in the Ordinary
Course Of Events, Would Require
a Lie Settlement
Along Great Northern.

| The action of the Great Northern
in putting in effect very low home
seekers rate and extending the time
until May next is legitimate and
business-like move. 1t would not be
SO if adopted by many other roads Of
the country, for the conditions are
not similar. The Northern roads
have seen business that had been
worked up by them for the settlement
OF the country diverted to the South
west because the rates were made
lower. The making of rates to the
intending settler is an important fac
tor, as experience has demonstrated.
Again, the object in placing the limit
for these excursions SO far ahead is
that the homeseeker may make his
calculations in advance, knowing that
when he is ready to move the low
rates will be in force.
The homeseekers going to the far
West are really in search of homes.
For two years little other travel has
taken advantage OF these rates. This
would not be true of Eastern roads if
such rates were adopted. The trav-
cling public would monopolize such
reduction, and perhaps the broker
might benefit.
AS business proposition it is but
in line with J.. J. Hills shrewd fore
sight. His road differs materially
from others. 1t is operated and con-
trolled largely by one man, and is
conducted as he would conduct
private business. He knows that
when the country along his road is
settled up he will have more business.
If no inducements were offered to
the settlement of the millions of
acres of land along the Great North
ern 1t might be great many years
before the traffic of the road would
equal its facilities.
The only way to make any business
pay is to work it to its full capacity,
and nowhere is this more apparent
than in railroading. Ii twenty trans
can find work where now only one is
operated the proportionste increase
in revenue is the fundamental and
hnal object in operating a railroad.
All the traffic it can handle is none
too much.
This is evidently Mr.. Ellis object
IN settling up the vacant lands. He
is long headed enough to see that by
sacrificing a few dollars in railroad
fares now he will reap thousands in
the near future through the industry
of these same homeseekcrs in the |
development of the country.
Ordinary methods would be too |
slow. There are long stretches on |
the great northern, as there are on all |
OF the trapscontinental roads, where |
there is no business whatever for the |
road There are sections where, if |
they could be separated from the sys-
TEN, would show great loss. Many
miles OF Improbable trackage is Of
ten represented in a district which as
a whole returns profit, and there is
no way to make every mile profitable
except by increasing the traffic. The
traffic can only be increased by set
tlement and development.
The growth of the great West may
go on for century. Its vacant
lands may all be taken up ia twenty
years, depending upon the energy dis
played in settlement but if the land
is brought under cultivation in five
years instead of twenty years, it is
quite apparent that the railroads will
have the advantage of fifteen years
OF increased traffic, every year in
creaslng over the other. and, with the
diversity of interests represented, de-
creaslng the liability to crop failures.
That is what the Great Northern pro-
poses to do, and this is what other
roads will do if the management can
ever see beyond the immediate re-
turns of revenue and adopt more
liberal policy. For further informa-
ton, address A. c. Harvey, $40
Chestnut street, Philadelphia, Pa.
The following letters are held at