The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-22
Railroad Magnates Preparing
to Control Steamship Lines.
Hill and Morgan Tried to Out
wit Rival Companies
FOR ORIENTAL TRADE.
Santa Fe Figuring on the Ham
burg-American Line.
Frank Benson of the Santa Fe
Invents Signal Lamp.

Great railroad deals have become the
prominent events of recent times. Never
before have the railroad interests of this
country and of the world occupied as
much attention as within the last year,
when absorption" and community of
interests have become most talked
about. The process of merging seems to
be going on all the time. But the field
in this country. is narrowing down, and
the great railroad magnates have decit-
ed that it is time to secure means for
transportation by water as well as by
land.
Accordingly it is promised that one of
the greatest struggles between railroad
capitalists viii be for control of traffic
on the sea and particularly for the ORR
entail trade. OF course this scheme is
not entirely new. but its full develop
ment as promised just now is decidedly
an innovation
AIessrs Hill and Morgan some time
ago put their heads together and pre-
pared the most comprehensive plan that
had ever been thought out and the
heads of rival companies concluded that
they would have to fight, if they did not
want to be left in the race. But to do
this successfully they must put things
into Asia at such low rates, as will ap
peal to the people there.
In order to do this the Great NortheIn
is building a fleet Of the largest steam
ships in the world, which will have an
enormous carrying capacity, amounting
to something like 10000 tons each and
have a speed of IA knots an hour. They
will also have unusual coal capacity.
1t is understood that Mr. Hills steam
ship line Will cooperate with the vaTi
Gus steamship lines, including the Az
lantic Transport and Leyland compa-
MES, which Mr.. Morgan is bringing to-
gether, and when their plans are worked
out they Will have a system that will
circle the globe. Some rival interests
declare that they will go Messrs- Hill
and Morgan one better.
Something has already been said
about the Santa Fe railroads new deal
with the neutrality-suspicious. Steam
ship company for reaching every i'm
portant mercantile center and for MAX
ing a speciality of the eastern trade. The
Atchison has millions to develop this
traffic and back of the Atchison is the
Pennsylvania railroad.
Meanwhile the Union Pacific and
Southern Pacific add other tactics to
head off Messrs. Hill and Morgan in
their scheme. The Canadian Pacific al
50 has an important steamship line from
Vancouver and it intends to make such
additions to its service as will guaran-
tee to it its share of the business stun
another independent steamship line
from Seattle is announced. 1t is a con-
rlnuat1On Of the Liverpool YOkOhama
line Of the China Mutual Steam Navi-
cation company to the Pacific Coast.
w /. Stow, a director of the Mexican
Central, said that it was the intention
of the Pierce syndicate. which controls
that property. to aim for large part of
the export trade to the Orient by way Of
the Port of Manzanillo. The Central is
building to that point and the terminus
will be reached in eight months
It is believed that the St. Louis and
San Francisco will reach out for a share
of the export trade, through its connec-
ton with the Mexican International and
the Mexican Central