The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-11
HILL The FARMERS
RAILWAY MAGNATE TALKS TO
THE GRAIN GROWERS.
FARMERS ENDORSE HIS LINE.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED COMMEND
ING HIS WORK.

competition EnOS ny LAW OF 'Sur-
vivaI of the Fittest" and the Weak
Go to the WalI-Case of Baltimore
and Ohio Instsnced-The Results
Inure to the Benefit of the Farm
ers.
Fargo. N. D., Jan. 10.-The features
of the Tri-state Grain and Cattle
Growers Convention here to-day were
the address of President James J. Hill
and the practically unanimous adop-
tion of resolutions commencing him for
his work in behalf of the Northwest.
These resolutions. after declaring the
most natural line of transportation for
the products of the Northwestern
states and for the trade of the Orient
destined for the North, Middle and
Eastern states is along the route fol-
lowed by the Northern Pacific Rail
road, proceed as follows
'It is the sense of this meeting.
therefore, that in resisting the attempts
of the Union Pacific Railroad and its
allies on the one hand and the Cana
dian 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 displayed the
farsighted and business-like policy that
has characterized his long career as
the great developer of Northwestern
resources and the most watchful
guardian of Northwestern interests"
These resolutions were adopted be-
fore Mr.. Hill's arrival, but later an at
tempt was made to rescind them. This
failed, however, and they stood as the
expression of the convention.
President HfIIs Address.
Fargo. N. D., Jan. 10.-President J.
M. Hill. of the Great Northern Rail-
way, this afternoon addressed the Tri
state Association of Grain and Cattle
Growers, which has been in session
here this week. Mr.. Hill opened with
q few words of praise for the farmers,
saying that 1.-The nation at large has
more to expect from those who culti-
vate the soil than from all others conf
bined." He thought the best use for
the good lands as yet unsettled a. serI-
GUS question for the consideration of
statesmen. After speaking of the de-
velopment of the Northwest, he said
he thought one kind of community
of interest which really existed, was
that between the producer of the ton
mage and the carrier: the land and its
products and the railroads will either
prosper together or be poor together.
Much is being said about combination
between railroads and competition. The
law of the survival of the fittest must
ir,o a hi nd au
lists by the destruction of the weaker
by the stronger. This has already been
done in the East. He said:
Twenty-Five years ago it was sup
posed that competition was necessary
to reduce rates. | think that we have
shown in the Northwest that without
competition rates have been reduced
faster than anywhere else in the coun-
try.
There has recently been an attempt
to show that we have no interest in
the building up of the prosperity of
the people of your state and of the
Northwest. If we did not do every
thing in our power to build you up,
we would be false to our best inter
ests. Our object in acquiring the
Burlington jointly with the Southern
Pacific Railway was to insure an out
let to the best markets for the grain,
live stock and lumber of the North
ern states and to increase the volume
of our traffic to the end that we might
al all times be able to establish the
lowest rates and most favorab BILE con-
ditions under which the traffic must
be carried
Mr.. Hill continued:
The Weak Go TO the wall.
"The conditions of the general rail
road situation in the United States at
the present time are hardly understood.
For the year ending June 30, $780, the
number of tons carried one mile by all
the railroads was 76,207, 900 600 tons. In
1900 it was 141 500, 900. 900. as shown by
the Interstate Commerce Commission
reports In 1901. a safe estimate will
bring this to 165, 900, 900 900 tons carried
one mile, an increase of 120 per cent.
in eleven years. During this time the
mileage of the railroads duty increased
IS per cent. While the tons moved
shows an increase of 120 per cent, the
earnings show an increase of less than
40 per cent. During this time the rates
have been reduced 10 the extent of
that difference. Destructive competi-
tion has forced the weakest lines into
bankruptcy and to-day they are owned
by the lines that were able TO main
tain their position and credit giving
roads The Baltimore and Ohio and
the Pennsylvania for half a century
have been rival reads. Both states
and cities actively aided i'm building
them up. destructive competition be-
tween them has finally resulted in the
Pennsylvania railroad owning the Bal
timore and Ohio. Have the rates ad-
vanced? Have the people along the
line of the Baltimore and Ohio suffer-
ed? On the contrary. the first step has
been to furnish money 10 cut down the
grades. double track the line from the
Ohio river TO Chicago. and 10 furnish
cars and facilities tc handle the bus-
ness to the best advantage and at such
rates as will enable the shippers along
the line TO open up their lines and in
crease their business in every branch
Of trade and TO rely upon a solvent
company for the facilities necessary TO
ira nsact their business"
After speaking Of the congcsted state
Of transportation throughout the coun-
try he said
New Facilities Required.
"a careful examination of tho rail
wsy problem from national stand
point. win ! believe show beyond ques-
ton that the business Of the country
has outgrown the facilities on most of
the trunk lines and that new facilities
not now apparent viii be necessary 20
relieve the situation. Rates in the
United States are much lower than in
any other country. Wages are higher,
thc cost OF much Of the material II