The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-10-30

ly, absolutely owned any railroad mileage
but that II operated somewhere from fivt
to six thousand miles of road under
leases and that II also owned the large
portion OF the stock OF the old Manitoba
road and some other corporations.
:, He also testified relative TO the reduc-
ern fince the purchase Of the Burling
ton system. In response 10 the question
who directed the reduction on the Great
conference between the officers and him.
self. He said the reduction of rates on
the Great Northern was not a new thing
a number OF years. He said the reduc-
ton amounted to 10 or 10 per cent. on
grain 1t was 10 per cent; IL was nearly
ern which were grain shipping points and
Some places more. He thought the re-
the Northern Pacific. but was not abso-
lutely informed on that point. He dis
claimed having personally made the
when they were after of great moment
he had been consulted and advised IN
the matter; He did not think that the
iron or coal since the purchase of the
burlington, because those rates were
abnormally lower before and much lower
than were charged by the Eastern roads.
The gross earnings OF the Great North
ern per ton per mile We're stated to be
the United States was .729. He thought
that the Northern Pacific was higher,
the Atchison it was .9ss n Mr. Hin said
higher than on the Great Northern and
they charged the acreage rate OF the
Atchison II would increase their earnings
IS, 100000.
Referring to the purchase of a large
amount Of coal land in Illinois, Mr.. Hill
said the Northern Securities company die
not own this land at the time the pres
PLANTATION on the coal question
Coal supply.
witness: do not want to be misunder-
stood. and from the questions / think
company and the Northern Pacific Rail-
way company have an interest in this
country and the people living here, and.
Would be difficGit for them to live I here
without fuel. and ii is a very serious mat
ter-it is very serious matter for the
would be able to run our trains to the
first day of February, with the lack OF
supply of coal. without bringing coal
from Illinois. and we don't know But we
would have to give up a portion of our
supply OF steam coal to keep people from
freezing before spring-and IL Is not due
by any means to the anthracite strike,
and / tried TO make 1t plain yesterday
that IL was not: but Il Is due to the in
ability of the railroads between Lake
Erie and the mines in West Virginia,
They are unable to move the coal up &c
Lake Erie ports, and we are unable 70
get a supply. At this time we have not
been able TO get one-half Of our purchase
for the year, and navigation will Gloss
some time next month. That is the inn
portance OF the control for us of access
TO the coal mines of Illinois, which are
the nearest coal mines 20 this country,
and the Importance OF that will be appa-
rent more and more as time goes on.
Mr.. Hill further testified that when the
Union Pacific desir ed to get control OF
the Burlington road Mr.. Hartman came
TO him while they were negotiating and
proposition was declined. The purchase
OF the Northern Pacific by the Union Pa
cific, he said would have left the Great
the t Great Northern e was eI iointIy and seS
orally responsible for two hundred mil
lions. that being the purchase price of the
Burlington stock, and IL the Northern
Pacific owned a Joint interest in the deal,
they would be responsible for one-half
of that amount, but If the Northern Pa
cine was In the hands of rival trans,
Francisco and from Omaha through the
Platte Valley to San Francisco they could
influence the Burlington to help their
Southern interests and would be in a
position to prevent the building up or aid
ing the development of the Northwest
that the Great Northern had worked so
long and hard 20 establish
The gist OF Mr.. Hills testimony during
the two days he was on the stand was
that the organization OF the Northern Sc
curities company was In no sense re-
strictton to trade. That the Great North
ern and Northern Pacific and Burlington
were operated separately and independ
emily That there was no actual merger,
but that their working together was OF
vital interest to the Northwest. That
rates had been reduced as the result Of
this cooperation, and could and would
be still furt her reduced as tariff increases.
That the whole proposition was within the
law In every respect. That the purchase
of the stock of the Northern Securities
company was open to any one who had
the money 20 pay for II and could agree
with the owners as to the price. That
there was no combination or agreement
expressed or implied, but that the cor.
poration was simply a holding company,
really for the purpose of making the
property IL holds have greater stability
and not likely to be purchased by parties
to use to destroy other property; in fact
that the whole movement would prove
most advantageous to the Northwest. Cost
Of the railroad and equipment having
been incurred the great Increase of ton
mage and business growing out of the
Burlington purchase and protecting ID
against adverse interests would increase
earnings. make lower rates possible and
thus induce settlement of the country,
and the building up of commercial manu-
featuring and agricultural interests