The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1903-11-05
WE WILL IRRIGAT['E]l,,,.
The Question Assumes Shape in a
North Dakota Convention.
President James j. Hill Delivers Address
Bearing on the Matter. An Organi-
cation Formed to Reach the
Desired Results.

rlgation congress, primarily a state
organization, but indirectly affecting
the entire northwest, was formed
here to-day, and while only a pre-
1iminary organization was formed,
the session today was perhaps the
- most important of the. two days
meeting because of the presence of
James J.,Hill, president of the North
ern Securities company, and a party
of friends who arrived shortly after
noon today, and Mr.. Hills address to
4 late this afternoon.
h sAt. the morning session, after the
temporary Organization was effected,
2 a letter from Senator Hansbrough of
II North Dakota on the subject of irri-
b cation was read and H. G. Plumley
s presented the report of the delegates
from Ogden, showing the advantages
!; which have accrued to the waste
!. places of Utah and other states from
s irrigation. $780,.
+ The report urged the convention to
I work in every way possible for the
expenditure of North Dakota's irriga-
= tion fund within the border of the
4 state. After some discussion of the
i question at issue, the delegates adj
Z :journed to hear the address of Mr.
! Hill. A. I, -
z Mr.. Hill first referred to the fact
that it was thirty-three. years age
that he first crossed the Red river
into what is now the state of North
Dakota and pointed out the marvellous
way in which the state has since de-
veloped, questioning if any other
state in the union could show sc
much progress in, sc short a length
of time. Referring to the Great
Northern railway, he stated that the
mileage of the system had increased
since 1882 from 1907 miles to $685.
miles in 1908.
Nov. here,' said Mr.. Hill. sis the ma
terial growth of the Northwest. In 1888;
We, moved 1,007, 900 tons OF freight; ii
1903 we hauled 16, 14S, 600 tons, or an in
crease of 1000 per cent in twenty-on'
years. In 1882 our rate for carrying
ton of freight-that of the average rat
over the whole line. 100 miles was s2.51
In 1892 it was $1.21 and in 1903 it Is 81
cents, which is 'one-third of what thu
rate was twenty-one years ago. Had tn
company received the same average rat
per ton per mile in 1908 as in 1882, l
would have collected 800, 500. 109, a.
freight earnings during the past year
while actual collections were $50, 915, 600
-; a.. decrease, through the reduction o
freight rates of $50, 904, 1915.
p THAT means that if the rate Of TWEEN
ty-one years ago had been in force 20,
could not have raised grain enough t.
pay the cost Of cultivating the soil ant
Of paying us for carrying it to the mar
kets. ~ -~.. .
'The$ reduction in freight rates: ha
been brought about by increasing tn
volume of traffic; that is. we have ere
ated new traffic by making it possible TO
men to cultivate the soil and raise crop
which we carry to market: Before yo1
can get the traffic you must make it an
1 want you to bear In mind that what
ever benefits you directly or indirectly
whatever gives you pleasure, directly o
indirectly. will in almost every case pu
money into our treasury.
You lave so many stations on tn
lines of the Great Northern. I do no
know about the other lines in the state
Although 1 believe I am charged wit,
knowing about all the railroads north q
st. Louis. But I nave been busy all tn
time trying to take care of our own lines
1t used to be q rare occasion that an
station would exceed in revenue in an
year 500, 900. Now there are SO many i
North Dakota that I cannot count Their
without referring to a book. ', a
"To reduce the cost of transportatio
in the face of continual increases il
wages and advances in prices of ma
terial,- the only way was to increase tn
work done by each train md. so to re
ceive a large Increase for lie train mile
'"These figures appeal to me by reaso,
Of their magnitude, and I am glad to tel
you right here that you in North Da
kota are able to send your grain to mar
ket at a lower freight rate than they ar
able to in western Iowa. =
IT took up the schedule of freight rate
of one Of the transcontinental lines sout
of US, one of the lines that struggled har
to get the Northern Pacific because thi
country was growing too fast, and foun
that their rate Is $1.06 for t"ransportin
a ton Of freight 100 miles. Our rate Is s
cents. =
"Take the big lines running out Of Chi
cago-I don't care which one you take
the Chicago &~'Northwestern. for in
stance, and you will find that althoug
an, older line than we are, it is paying
higher rate OF interest than we are, q
than the Northern Pacific as WELL
speak Of thai to show you that we mea
a.. what we say when we say that your in
terest is out interest, your prosperity
our prosperity and our injury your in
jury
-."The prosperity Of the railway com
s.panies and the prosperity of the peopl
of North Dakota must go up together an
= go down together. You cannot injure tn
people without i%njuring the railway:
when you injure us you injure your
Z selves.
: Suppose a case-ard there are mar
= ssuch cases-occasionaly. we get int
8court, in a physicalSinjury case, althoug
we never near to: s and always offer It
=. pay the injured man heaping measure
: =b~utssometimes he does not want heapin
! measure, he wants sometimes to &c
three or four times as much, because h
. relies on popular prejudice against tn
railroad. Now. who pays that bill? I ca
tell you that it is not paid by our stock
. holders. They get their 7 per cent jus
: the same. The amount of that bill
charged up to expense and you pay it.
"Now I have been running away fro1
t. irrigation. I do not get an opportunit
to talk to you very often and have trans
crossed a little. On an Investigation. {
the entire question it was found to b
absolutely folly to bring forward an
measure in Washington. Nobody woul
listen to it. To look toward the gov
= ernment protecting the public domain fc
+ the settlers and for future generation
was considered absurd by many people i
, the East.
And I was satisfied, that>it would tax
. q long period and campaign of thoroug