Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-17
Great Northern and Northern
Pacific Not Likely to Re-
new Old Fight
HAVE LEARNED OF BETTER PLAN
Advantage of the Community of Inter-
est Plan Has Been Demonstrated in
the Short Time in Which the Roads
Have Been Operated Under Co.
operation.

ing view OF the matter:
The opinions of the leading railroad
men who have their headquarters here
are unanimous upon the point that the
decision against the Northern sSecuri-
ties company, even If made permanent,
stocks of the companies now combined
in the Northern Securities Company.
They say that the only
way in which thege companies could
be so affected would be by a return
to the method formerly practiced of
competition between Great Northern
and Northern Pacific when the two
roads We're engaged in the task of de-
lineitating their respective territory.
They claim that even under the terms
of the decision the roads cannot
be forced to make different rates or to
compete in any other way so long as
they do not desire to do so. From this
terest" idea as long as IL is carried out
without actual corporate combination
is absolutely impregnable.
Railroad men believe that the period
of destructive competition between
Great Northern and Northern Pacific
is a thing of the past. They base this
belief on the following facts:
.First--In all cases where the courts
have decided to dissolve corporations
in the past there has never been a re-
turn to the same competition that ex-
listed before such corporations We're
formed. When the Standard Oil trust
was dissolved distribution of its con-
stituent stocks was made. Yet the
Standard Oil company now controls
these same constituent companies, and
is doing the same business that the
Standard Oil trust of Ohio set out
to do. When the law courts dissolved
the Addystone Pipe and Steel company,
that company went out of existence
but for four years its constituent COM
panies, tho not combined. have operat-
ed In complete harmony, and without
any of the bitter warfare that first led
to the formation of the trust
Second--Thru the harmonious opera
ton of Great Northern, Northern Pac-
ific and Burlington these companies
gained in gross earnings in 1902 s17,-
50S.556. OF this increase about $4,000,
600 is stscribed directly to the increase
of business growing out of the cooper
alton of the companies in the develop
ment of the territory served by them
conformity. This means that that
amount in gross earnings has been adj
ded by the companies directly thru the
operations of the community OF inter
est idea that underlies the Northern
Securities Company. There is hardly
railroad man in New York who does
not subscribe to this idea as exempli-
fled in the cooperation of these roads
no matter how strongly he may object
to the principle of actual corporate
combination.
The advantage that has been gain
ed by these roads Will never be given
up. 1t is considered dim!y possible that
the Northern Securities company will
go utterly out OF existance but it Is not
for moment considered possible, even
by John Shelton Williams, Mr.. Nor
gan's most bitter critic, that these
roads will ever depart from the princi-
pie of harmonious operation thru which
they have made during the year last
reported such tremendous advance.
The gain in gross. by the way, was
per cent larger than the next largest
gain in gross reported by Pennsylvania.
Thiri-To throw these roads back
into such conditions as existed in that
territory prior to 1899 would be to undo
at one step what every railroad in the
country and every railroad legislator in
congress has been trying to sccomp-
fish for the past ten years. /. would
be ratrograde step toward the con-
ditions that existed in the days when
seven transfers were needed or a trip
from New York to Buffalo for the rea-
son that the cars of seven companies
making up that route were unable to
pass from their own lines to those of
the next company. Harmony OF opera
ton is the keynote of policy of
all present-day railroad systems.
Fourth-Harmony of operation was
brought into existence for the purpose
of reducing the ton- mile cost of oper-
ating railroads. This problem of re-
ducing cost of operating really UNDER
lies the whole community of interest
plan, the entire merger system, all eff
forts toward harmony of operating, all
shortening and Strengthening of lines,
elimination of grades and curves, traf-
f1c agreements, railroad appointments,
such as those of kruttschnitt; in fact
almost everything that enters into the
undertaking of railroad system. The
progress of the railroads in reducing
ton-mile cost cannot possibly be check
ed without checking at the same time
the steady progress that has been made
in the reduction of railroad rates and
the corresponding progress in the
building UP of a gigantic commerce
for this country, both at home and
abroad. If it should be checked at this
juncture, the plans of j. j. Hill to make
the twin cities the center of the rice in
dustry of the world, will fall with it.
Mr.. Hlis plan aims at making the rate
of transporting a bushel of rice from
Y Yokohama, Japan, to Minneapolis or ST.
Paul as low as the present rate of
transporting a bushel of wheat from
North Dakota to Minneapolis. Incident
ally of course he aims likewise at the
reduction of rates between points in
that territory.
Fifth-Neither the government, the
railroads, nor the great mass of the
people actually desire to return to the
period of rebates, secret cutting of rates
and according of special privileges to-
large shippers This is shown by the
expressed in all quarters
to- t1va <~%< 1,n