The Delta independent., 1902-08-08
RAILROAD OFFICIALS
DISCUSS RATES WITH FARMERS.
President Hill Makes a Speech at
Davenport, Washington-President
MeIIen Also Talks and Says PoIiti-
clans Work the Farmers and Then
Try to Work the Railroads.

Try to Work the Railroads.
Spokane, Wash, Aug. 5.-Pres:dent
J.. j. Hill of the Great Northern rail
way and the Northern Securities Com
pany, made Il speech to the farmers of
Davenport yesterday.
The occasion was unique in the his
tory of American railrOading. Three
railway presidents, in response TO pc
tition from the leading farmers of the
Big Bend country, had assembled AT
the county seat of Lincoln county to
hear their case. plead their own inter-
ests and render Judgment. They We're
james J. Hill. President c. s. Mellen Of
the Northern Pacific, and President A.
l.. Mohler Of the Oregon Railroad II
Navigation lines of the Hartman sys-
TEN. With them were group of
lesser railroad notables. Public ad-
dresses We're delivered by the three
presidents. Then adjournment was
taken to the armory. where an old
fashioned country dinner was served
to the railway guests and visitors from
the surrounding country. The presi
dents entered heartily into the spirit
of the occasion.
Mr.. Hill deposited his hat under his
chair. remarked that he had not en-
joyed himself SO thoroughly In many n
day, and rubbed elbows with wheat
grower from the Egypt country and
another from the Cedar canon camp.
After dinner hundreds of people
gathered around the railway presi-
dents, shaking hands and listening to
spirited discussions.
Mr. Hill ralEa1 farninp and SfocE
raising. Mr.. Mellen elaborated on his
previous announcement of Il new
branch road and Mr. Mohler spoke of
the immigration plans of the Hartman
roads.
Mr.. Hill opened by saying: Il am
getting to be an old man. l have not
many years to live. If / accomplish
all l have set out to do things must
move with celerity.
'As well attempt to set broken
limb by statutes as to adjust rates.
You can legislate until the barn doors
rot Off. The best thing to do is to act
as you have here. with the officials.
We will try to act in such u way that
you will realize that we are doing
something fair and in good faith.
What you want is the highest price
from any store. You want new mar
ket. You must make a market. You
must make more people use your
stuff. Statesmen will tell us how to
do this, but they get consideration
for doing SO. l cannot find in public
acts one intelligent thing that they
have done to get new markets. l don't
know any place where you have not
been left to shift for yourselves as
farmers. You have crops that keep
<nvr fNryr. t1.., IT,
You want to do something the rest of
the time besides whiting or holding
down nail keg. What you should do
is to raise stock. roots, forage. There is
nothing better than raising stock"
Delegates were present from Spo-
kane, Stevens, Whitman and Adams
counties. representing a region which
1t is estimated may harvest 2O,OOO,OOO
bushels of wheat this year.
AT the morning conference the prin-
cipal feature was the announcement
Of President Mellen that after CONSUL
tntion with President Hill, the North
ern Pacific had ordered the building of
railway from the terminus of the
Central Washington at Coulee City to
Adrian, on the Great Northern, about
twenty-five miles south. This will cut
on 100 miles in the haul to the coast.
The estimated cost of this railway Is
$4,000, which President Mellen de-
clares is gift to :ne people OF Big
Bend, as the read goes through bar
ren country. 1t is thought 1t may be
completed by November. 1908. In his
speech President Mellen said:
THE whole rate fabric Is like card
house. We can do nothing here with
out doing something at other points.
We are all bound TO gain something
by the spirit in which yon called tins
conference. Coming to us not by in
termediaries. politicians who work you
and then try to work u.s. but you work
with us as allies, and thus freeze out
the middlemen."