The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-29
RAILWAY TENDENCIES.
President Hills views Presented
Through Worlds work.

|
President Hills views Presented
/ Through Worlds work.
James ]. HILL builder and president of
! the Great Northern railway, speaks with
! authority on all questions dealing with
| the construction and management OF
! railroads. The growth in twenty-one
years of the system of which he is the
! head, from $50 to $500 miles, gives proof,
J if that were needed, of his executive abil-
ity and of his good judgment. Speaking
! not long since of the railway situation
j and our growing trade with the far East,
! Mr.. Hill said for publication in the
Worlds Work;
1.-THE forces likely to determine in fu-
/ ture the construction of new lines of rail
way in the United States are the need
! for better terminal facilities, and the
| special requirements of particular sec
! tons. That the building of great trunk
! lines has come to an end is shown, [ think,
by the fact that during the past dozen
! years there has been a steady decline in
| railway construction in all parts of the
| United States A railway that will not
! yield prospective profit to its
projectors has no legitimate rea-
son for existence. and, as the existing
lines between the East and West are pre-
pared to transport twice or thrice the
tonnage now offering, OR likely to offer
for MANY years to come, to attempt to
parallel them with new ones would be
a financial blunder little better than a
crime. The competition of older rivals
and the consequent division of business
would render the stocks and bonds of the
newcomers practically worthless, and in
vestors have learned caution from dis
asters of the past Lines now in opera
ton are pretty sure to seek and secure
improved outlets, and there is bound TO
be small but steady increase in mileage
having for it's object the development of
some particular interest or section; hut
more than that should not be looked for
in the near future. Indeed in most of the
states of the East and Middle West the
existing mileage supplies all the facili-
ties wanted. In such states no consider
able amount of new mileage can be built
with the assurance of profit and this
fact will exert a salutary influence in
checking doubtful ventures and compel
ling obedience to the very excellent rule
that where line is capable of handling
the transportation of its section the con-
struction of a second should not be I'M
dertaken Capital seeking investment
VIII be mainly directed In future to the
development of urban and interurban
electrical roads, department. of trans
portation which is still in its infancy.
TIE TREND TOWARD CONsOLIDA-
TION.
~ he familiar law of the survival of tho
httest applies with especial force to rail,
way management. Concentration is the
dominant spirit of the age, fer men have
come to see that. all things being equal.
the conduct of the largest mass is the
CHEAPEST and renders the surest profit
to labor and capital To this influence
has been principally due the tendency
to consolidation of lires-the absorption |
by lease or purchase of the weak by the
strong-which has been at work during |
Ia Cf NJ
policy of consolidation, which is sure to |
he continued are manifest even 10 the |
laynan. 1t has produced the heavy steel |
rail. the eighty-ton locomotive, and the |
continuous haul, and, in an economic
sense, has brought the wheat fields of>tile |
Northwest approximately as near Lon
don and Paris as the farms of Yorkshire
and Burgundy. Impelled by eompetit on |
and consolidation, our railways are better |
equipped and more ably and economic ally |
managed-this with the least burden upoA |
their patrons-thap those of any other |
country in the world. Ard here let ME /
say that the mooted control of the railo /
ways by the government would prove a |
delusion and snare. 1t would double |
freight and passenger rates, with an 0p- /
posing loss in the skill, energy, AMI |
safety of management. Admirable as it |
is, our postal system is very far from |
what it would be had its perfection and |
development been left to individual in
pulse and enterprise American rail- |
ways have been private enterprises from /
the first, and it is the part of wisdom |
TO make no change in present conditions. |
Existing laws give the citizen full and |
adequate protection against unjust dis |
elimination or demands en- the part OF |
railway owners; and he would gain noth> |
ing and lose mich by resort to social |
istic methods and measures
OUR GROWING TRADE WITH THE
EAST.
No man has done more than Mr.. Hill |
to foster our growing trade with the far |
East. His views on this subject are, !
therefore, of the first Importance. He |
said:
Some years ago L sent an agent to |
China and Japan to see what steps could |
be taken to extend the general use Of |
wheat -four in those countries, as against |
their own rice, and found that 1t was |
simply matter of price. which is large |
ly Influenced by transportation. When |
we have found new mouths, which nave /
never before used wheaton bread, to take |
the entire California, Oregon, and Wash I
ington wheat crops out of the European
markets. it must largely reduce the |
amount going to Europe from America /
and will soon affect the yearly shipments |
from the Argentine to European markets.
The Great Northern is now building |
ships for this trade, which, Wnen put IN
operation, will carry from twenty to |
twenty-five thousand tons of freight
EACH However, it is one thing to build |
a ship, and another to keep her in opera |
ton. If we are to have on the Pacific
a merchant marine adequate to our |
needs, we must be able to operate our |
ships under as favorable conditions as /
other nations. The sailors union fixes /
the wages of sailors at $50 month, and |
engineers and other ship employees at |
about twice the wages paid by European |
steamers, making it impossible to COM
pete on equal terms with the English, |