New-York tribune., 1902-01-11
HILL DEFENDS BIG MERGER
NORTHWEST, AND PROMISES
RATE REDUCTIONS.

Cattle Growers which has been in session here
this week The crowd to-day was large, and in
cluded farmers and business men from ali parts
Of Minnesota and both Dakotas. special delegates
having to-day from Duluth and the Twin
Cities 10 hear Mr.. Hill. He opened his address
with a few words of praise for the farmers saying
that "the nation large has more TO expect from
those who cultivate the soil than from All olheiS
combined He thought the best use for the good
lands, yet unsettled serious question LOT Ihe
consideration of statesmen. He believed that the
future welfare of the country depends more upon
the wise disposition of the public domain so as
to secure homes for the people than upon any
other single condition in the nation" After speak
ing of the development of the Northwest, he said
he thought kind of community Of interest
which really existed that between the pro-
ducer of tonnage and the carrier the land and Its
products and the railroads will either prosper to-
gether be poor together. He added that much
was said about combinations between railroads and
competition The law of the survival Of the httest
inevitably end such competition as exists by
the destruction of the weaker by the stronger.
This had already been done in the East MI Hill
said He continued:
twenty-five years ago it supposed that
competition necessary to reduce rates thlnk
We have shown in the Northwest that with
out competition have been reduced faster
than anywhere else in the country"
OBJECT IN ACQUIRING BURLINGTON.
After speaking of other sections where rates are
higher. showing the rate reductions In the North
west, Mr.. Hill sad
This more than anything else. has doubled the
price OF your lands IN comparaseiy rev h tbst
have no interest in the building up OF the pros
We as did O not do yeG @ in our
TO build you up we would re IaSe the TO our Ruri5son
Jointly with the Northern Pacific Railway to
live stock @ and lumber M for the Northern states and
to increase the volume Of our trac IN to the eha h
lowest and most favorable conditions under
reaches Chictgo Peoria, Rock Island. Davenport.
2aincy Alton Han1sa n St Louis hd S S2sepn a9
then connects with the main arteries of traffic OF
Assuming that the line of the Burlington had
mot been constructed, and that the Great Northern
and were engaged in the construction of it, would
stete tfayersed by n the line of the Great Northern
and Northern Pacific? On the contrary. would not
a means OF opening up markets for Northwestern
produce. and of reaching markets in the south
ing the volume of the traffic of the Great Northern
rates and adding to the general prosperity of the
Instead of building the Burlington system or a
line Of railway alongside Of it. the Great Northern
of a line already constructed Instead of Issuing
stock or bonds for the purpose of raising moneys
constructed line.
THE QUESTION OF CONTROL OF STOCK
The capital stock Of. railway companies Of
somewhere. Railway companies as carriers
for, for the purpose of i1suring the performance of
peye eF III faMa TO hs P he aPa pu6
Railroads make public through published rates.
thing they have to sell. and must report the
amount they receive for What they sell and what
purpose of determining whether railway companies
The question Of the reasonabieness Of rates Sand and
service =, does not depend upon whether one man
the capital stock is owned by ten men or thou
stock of railway COMPANY is PERSONAL nropertv
to be sold, transferred from one man to another.
Of the Northern Pacif pay and the Great Notherh
will be, held by somebody. persons or corporations;
sInny mot oy the the present owners by other owners
stock should be scattered and a majority find its
s Way into the hands han of those interested in connecting
t ne SSerTttory served by the Great Northern and
lines Ines Of these railways be benefited? If the
two companies could be Compelled to sell it OF dis
pose of 1T on the markets ould IT fall into hands
the prosperity Of the Northern than it's M
nae and oT Is IT 5Ra st the lines been
present condition Of prosperity of the two
PIE along the. lines as they have been served?
pSinlg ro the wiIngness and the ability Of those
who VINO found 1t to their advantage to build up the
tributary to 1t, and who Will continue It.
FORMER HIGH RATES IN NORTHWEST.
Mr.. Hill called attention to the former high rates
on the Great Lakes and how Northwestern inter-
ests had established lines and forced reduc-
lions In rates from the East and by means of new
elevators had compelled lower rates there also.
After further touching on rate reductions he said:
The conditions of the general railroad situation
IN the United States the present time are hardly
number Of tons carried mile by all the railroads
was 1920 10000 In 1900 it IA. 600 100000 as
ports In 1901 safe estimate will bring this to
2o per cent in eleven years. During this time the
lesge , q m the raj railroads & in M the United States in
an increase Of I'D per cent the earnings showed
me rates as ae been ~ TedeeS Rer e m the During this
that difference. During that period of eleven years
four so-called trunk lines, through Competition,
a hand sne has sngn % and all but one Of
lines Destructive competition has forced the weak
est lines into bankruptcy and to-day they are
owned by the lines that were able to maintain their
The baltimore and Ohio and the PENNSYLVANIA
for half century ;T have been rival roads Both
up Destructive competition between them 'inas has
finally resulted in the Pennsylvania Railroad own
vanced? The first step has been to furnish money
6 c1l OHIO ven TO as m aSK the Line from
facilities handle the business the best advan
along the line to open up their nes and nePsss
their business In every branch Of trade and to rely
to transact their business.
RATE REDUCTIONS PROMISED.
After speaking OF the congested state of trans
pcrtation throughout the country. Mr. Hill said:
A careful examination of the railway problem
beyond question that the business of the country
lines, and facilities not now apparent will be
necessary to relieve the situation. Rates in the
United States are much lower than in any other
country; wages Wages are higher and the most Of much
yet the rate charged in Europe is fully twice as
snee ss W WeH rapdv The Ss in this country
In two in twenty years: all kinds of labor and ma
80 TO 40 per cent Nothing but the Increased yoI l