Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-05-16
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON FRIDAY EVENING" NAY 16 1902

iai SCot III luC WOIluJ, Al htlc W
carry at very low rates Gf full oargoes
can be securely, and thus enable the
company to move the largest volume
of west-bound traffic (and also of east
bound traffic. at the lowest rates.
In the interstate and international
commerce which the Great Northern
company has thus built up, it COM
petes both in this country and on the
ocean with the other transcontinental
I lines (including the Canadian Pacitic)
and at the Oriental ports it competes
for commerce of the world. Its rates
are and must be made in competition
with the rates of ocean carriers and by
way of the Suez canal.
The policy thus followed by the
Great Northern company in building
up an international, and thereby in
interstate. commerce has been followed
by the Northern Pacific company,
since its reorganization in 1896.
In creating and maintaining this
competitive interstate and interna-
tional commerce both the Great North
ern company and the Northern Pa
cific company were hampered and
placed at a disadvantage with the
other transcontinental railways, as
we'll as with European competitors, by
the want of sufficient direct connec-
ton with the territory Offering the
best markets for the products of the
country along their lines, and with the
places of production and great centers
OF distribution from which their traffic
must be supplied. For many months
before the purchase of the Burlington
shares, they had considered the best
means Of getting closer to such mar.
kets and sources Of supply. The lines
OF the Burlington, better than those
OF any other company. fulfilled the re-
f"AiOu'Chto VI oOtu tuc OItaL NOItu'
ern company and the Northern Pacific
company in respect of markets for
eastbound and freight for wes.bound
traffic. SThe Burlington lines traverse
the treeless States of Illinois, Iowa
Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming, Kan
sas and Colorado, which afford the
best markets for the lumber OF the
Pacific coast. They reach Denver,
Kansas City, Omaha and Aurora,
where are located the principal smell.
ters of silver.lead ores, such as are
mined near the lines of the defendant
railway compau Fs.
They reach Omaha, Kansas City
and Chicago, where are the great pack
ing houses and the great markets for
the cattle and sheep of the ranges of
North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming,
Idaho. Oregon and Washington.
They reach St. Louis and Kansas
City, connecting them with lines trav-
ersing the cotton States, from which
come raw and manufactured cotton
required for shipment to China and
Japan.
At Chicago and st. Louis they con.
meet with the lines which reach the
points OF supply OF manufactured iron,
steel. machinery and other manufac-
tured articles that find a market in
Japan and China.
The Burlington line southwark from
Minneapolis and st. Paul along the
Mississippi river reaches the great coal
deposits OF Southern Illinois, the larg-
est west of Pennsylvania and West
Virginia; and its light gradients and
consequent low cost OF transportation
make it possible to supply such coal
to points on the lines of each defend.
ant railway company east of the Mis-
souri, river, relieving the people and
the railways of that territory from
entire dependence upon the Pennsyl
vania and West Virginia mines. the
supply from which is yearly becoming
more costly and less certain.
The price paid for said Burlington
stock was lower per mile OF main
track covered by the stock than that
for which the stock OF any other large
and we'll established system, in the
same general territory, could then
have been bought.
The purchase of the Burlington
stock by the Northern Pacific and
Great Northern companies in equal
parts served each company as we'll as
if it were the sole owner OF such stock,
while such purchase might have been
beyond the financial means of either
company by itself.
The Great Northern and Northern
Pacific companies, therefore, each pur-
chased an equal number OF shares of
the Burlington stock as the best means
and for the sole purpose of reaching
the best markets for the products Of
the territory along their lines, and OF
securing connections which would fur
nish the largest amount OF traffic for
their respective roads, increase the
trade and interchange OF commodities
between the regions traversed by the
Burlington lines and their connections
and the regions traversed or reached
by the Great Northern and Northern
Pacific lines, and by their connecting
lines OF shipping on the Pacific coast.
These connections and such inter.
chane OF traffic were deemed to be and
are indispensable to the maintenance
Of their business, local as we'll as inter