The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-01-14
SATISFIED WITH THE DEAL
Pass Resolutions Expressing Their
Confidence in the Great Northern
Railroad Magnate.

President Hill and the adoption of a
resolution commencing him for his
work OF behalf of the northwest. The
resolutions were adopted almost unan-
lmOusly by the convention prior to the
arrival of Mr.. Hill and an attempt was
later made to have those particular
resolutions stricken out, but the at
tempt failed and the resolutions stand
as the sense of the convention. The
resolutions ad. rted arc as follows:
Resolved, That W., the members of
the Tri-State Grain Growers CONVEX
ton, express our appreciation of the
effective work done by the North Da-
kota Pan-American committee at Buff
falo and recommend that the legisla-
ture appropriate such sum as may be
deemed adequate and necessary to
fully and thoroughly present at the
Louisiana Purchase exposition at st,
Louis, in 1903, the vast resources of
our state and it's advantages as a place
of residence.
Si 1l-dt Tic iid'uIdl dHu lOSl-
cal line of transportation for the pro-
ducts of northwest American states is
from the nearest point on the Pacific
coast or the nearest point on the Great
Lakes. Through and traversing the
great basin of the upper Mississippi,
the valley Of the Red river of the
north, the head waters of the Missouri
and the fertile lands lying between the
Canadian border and the Columbia
river on the Pacific coast runs a great
trans-continental highway. The trade
of the Ofient entering the United
States and destined for the north, mid
die and eastern states can best reach
its destint tnn by thsi Lutte, and to
divert it to the south Cr encourage it's
transportation through the provinces
of Canada would not only add to the
cost of the delivered goods but would
deprive the states from which it would
be detected of their share of the tax
upon the gross earnings in the roads
carrying it, and thereby deplete the
revenues of the states through which
it would be carried were the ordinary
rules Of commerce followed. It is the
sense Of this meeting, therefore, that
in resisting the attempts of the Union
Pacific railr.ad and it's allies on the
Il hand and the Canadian Pacific
railroad and it's feeders on the other,
to secure control of the Northern Pa
cific railroad James j. Hill has per-
formed a notable public service and
once more displayed the far sighted
business policy hat has characterized
his long career as the great developer
of northwestern resources, and the
most watchful guardian of northwest
ern interests.
Mr.. Hill built a great transconti-
mental railorad through a wilderness
that has grown through his efforts into
the richest empire on earth, and never
asked a bonus or subsidy. He has con-
hected that railroad at one end with
a fleet of vessels that carry American
products to the Orient and bring back
the Oriental trade to the northwest,
n to the whole nation, and at the
other end with shipping facilities by
water for the Atlantic %seaboard: all
this, too, without a dollar of bonus or
the semblance of a subsidy. Trusting
to the of the country for the
traffic to justify extension, he has en-
tered every section with needed trans
portation facilities and constructed
often at a loss to himself, lines into
sparcely settled and unproductive
communities. During all the years of
railroad building there has been reg
ularlv marked reductions of freight
tariffs according as volume of traffic
Increased and warranted it, and a uni
form disposition to make temporary
sacrifice for the permanent improve
ment of the country.
Resolved, That in view of this
record and in recognition of the hon
orable and upright course of James j.
Hill. and his dealings with the farmers
of the northwest, we congratulate the
country upon his success in prevent
ing the absorption of the Northern
Pacific by Union Pacific interests on
The one hand and the Canadian Pacific
manipulators on the o+her and express
our confidence in the purpose and abil-
ity of Mr.. Hill to give to the states of
Minnesota and North and South Da-
kota the best and cheapest ~transporta-
ton facilities to be had by the people
of any section of this nation. Two
years ago Mr.. Hill came to our con- !
vention and gave us some good point