The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-11
Strongest Lines Certain to Bankrupt
the weakest, and Then Buy
Them at n Low Rate
ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS
GRAIN RAIsERs AND STOCK GROW
ERs IN FAVOR OF HILLS SCHEME.
President of the Great Northern Com
mended by Delegates from
Three States.

FARGO. y. D., Jan. 10.-To-day was a
great day at the Tristate Grain and cat
tie Growers convention here, the two great
features being the address of President j.
I HiU. of the Northern Securities Com
pany. and the adoption Of resolutions COM
mending Mr.. Hill for his work on behalf
of the Northwest. The resolutions were
adopted almost unanimously by the con-
Vention prior 10 the arrival OF Mr. HILL
and an attempt was later made to nave
these particular resolutions stricken, but
the attempt failed, and the resolutions
stand as the sense of the convention The
resolutions adopted are, in part, as fol-
lows:
THE natural and logical line of trans
portation for the products or the NORTH
west American States is the nearest point
on the Pacific coast to the next nearest
point on the great lakes, through ana ira
Versing the great basin of the upper mis-
slssippi. the valley of the Red river OF
the North, the headwaters of the missouri,
and the fertile lands lying between the
Canadian border and the Columbia river,
on 10 the Pacific coast The trade OF the
Orient entering the United States and des-
tined for the North, middle and Eastern
States can best reach its destination by
this route, and TO divert II TO the South
or encourage its transportation through
the provinces OF Canada would not only
add to the cost of delivered goods, but
would deprive the States from which 1t
would be DETECTED of their share of the
tax on the gross earnings of the roads
CARRYING IL. and thereby deplete the rev.
enues of the States through which IL would
be carried were the ordinary rules OF
commerce followed.
ssIt is the sense of this meeting there
fore that in resisting the attempts of the
Union Pacific Railroad and It's aliles' on
the one hand. and the Canadian Pacific
Railroad and its feeders on the other. to
secure control OF the Northern Pacific
Railroad. James J.. Hill has performed a
notable public service and once more dis
played the far-sighted and business-like
policy that has characterized his long ca
Ieer as the great developer of Northwest
ern resources, and the most watchful
guardian Of Northwestern interests"
MR. HILLS ADDRESS.
Mr.. Hill delivered his address in the
opera house. The crowd to-day was
very large and included farmers and
business men from all parts of Minnesota
and both Dakotas, special delegates having
come to-day from Duluth and the twin
cities to hear Mr.. Hill.
After speaking of the development Of the
Northwest Mr.. Hill said he thought one
kind OF community of interest which
really existed was that between the pro.
ducer of tonnage and the carrier: the land
either prosper together or be poor together
Much is being said about combination be-
tween railroads and competition" he con
tinued. The law of the survival of the
fttest must inevitably end such competi-
tion as exists by the destruction of the
weaker by the stronger. This has already
been done in the East. Twenty-Five years
ago it was supposed that competition was
necessary TO reduce rates. / think we have
shown I'm the Northwest that without com
petition rates have been reduced faster
than anywhere else in the country" After
speaking of other sections where rates are
higher and showing the rate reductions ir
the Northwest he said: This more thar
anything else has doubled the price of your
lands in a comparatively few years. There
has recently been an attempt to show that
we have no interest In building up the pros
perity OF the people of your States and OF
the Northwest. III we did not do every.
thing in our power TO build you UP we
would be false to our best interests Our
object in acquiring the Burlington jointly
with the Northern Pacific Railway was tC
insure an outlet TO the best markets fol
the grain. live stock and lumber of th'
Northern States and TO increase the voIum,
OF our traffic. TO the end that we might a
all times be able TO establish the lowes
rates and most favorable conditions under
which the traffic must be carried TIL,
Burlington with its own rails reaches Chi
cago. Peoria, Rock Island Davenport
Quincy, Alton, Hannibal. ST. Louis st
Joseph. Kansas City. Des Moines Omaha
main arteries of traffic of the whole coun
try.
AN EXAMPLE CITED.
Assuming that the line OF the Burling
ton had not been constructed and that tn,
Great Northern and Northern Pacific haC
raised the money and were engaged in tn,
construction OF it. would there be any
thing 10 meet the disapproval OF the State.
traversed by the Great Northern anC
Northern Pacific? on the contrary. would
not such a course have been hailed will
approval as a means OF opening up mar
kets for Northwestern produce and o.
reaching markets in the South and South
west and OF securing business. increasing
the volume OF the traffic of the Greai
Northern and the Northern Pacific. thu.
making reduction OF rates and adding 4
the general prosperity Of the Northwest
Instead OF building the Burlington system
or a line Of railroad alongside OF il. IN,
Great Northern and Northern Pacific pur
chased the capital stock of a line alread,
constructed. Instead OF issuing stock o.
bonds for the purpose OF raising monel
FOR building line reaching the same coun
try bonds were Issued 10 purchase Tn,
stock OF a constructed line
The capital stock OF railway companies
as OF other corporations. will be held b,
somebody and somewhere. Railway com
panies as carriers are subject 10 super
vision and control by the public for TN,
purpose of insurfng the performance o
their obligations 10 the public. The capita
employed IN railway construction Is mad,
pubic; Railroads make public through
published rates the price charged for trans
portatiOn the only thing they have Z,
sell and must report the amount they re
ceive for what they sell and what ha
been done with H. Courts are omen for IN,
purpose OF determining whether raflroa,
Companies as carriers observe their obli
cations 10 the public. The question o
the reasonableness OF rates and services