The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-11-07
TOREWSE SCHEDULE
Northern Pacific Considers
WdIId Wd||d Situation
SEATTLE WANTS OUR TRADE
Effort to Be Made to Give the Whole
salers of Seattle Better Freight
Service.
SEATTLE WANTS OUR TRADE

Northern Pacific officials have TAX
en- up the question of train service be-
tween Seattle and Walla Walla and
will endeavor to improve the present
schedules in such a manner as to give
Seattle wholesalers a better opportun
ity to fight for control of the east
telligencer.
There is a difference of opinion be-
tween railroad officials and the jobbers
regarding the loss Of the Walla Walla
trade. Railroad men insist that Port
land has practically no advantage over
Puget sound cities in the train sched
ules and that the activity of jobbers
in the Willamette river metropolis is
responsible for the big lead Portland
enjoys. But the railroad men are will
ing to do anything possible to give
Seattle an advantage in eastern Wash
ington.
1t is insisted that the average time
for a shipment from Seattle to Walla
Walla is two days Freight trains are
made up in the Seattle yards every
night. The last freight is received at
5 p. m. and the train leaves at p. m.
for Ellensburg, direct A short stop
is made at that point and the train
reaches Pasco early the following day
From Pasco it runs into Walla Walla
without any delay
1t is estimated that the time taken
in transit for car loaded at Seattle
for Walla Walla is two days. In 9TH
er words, an order sent from Walla
Walla at the beginning of the week
could be delivered in time for the big
trade at the end of the week. It may
be possible to reduce this time slightly
through better service on the Wash
ington & Columbia river railroad and
if so Northern Pacific officials insist
this will be done.
Railroad men, however. place great
stress upon the fact that Portland job
bers pay more attention to the Walla
Walla trade than does Seattle. They
insist that Portland has controlled the
trade of eastern Washington from the
time Walla Walla was a trading post
and the merchants doing business in
that city have come to regard Portland
jobbers as their particular friends. AS
result they will not change to a new
trade center without some induce
ments being offered. Quick delivery
might offset friendship, but the rail-
road men believe concessions from the
jobbers would accomplish the result
more promptly.
1t is declared to be impossible to
send out freight cars with the passen-
Der trains between Seattle and Walla
Walla. The Washington & Columbia
River railroad might make this in
novation in its service from Pasco, but
the Northern Pacific cannot inaugu-
rate such service from Seattle. 1t is
not likely freight cars will be taken
up at Pasco with passenger trains
since the time gained would be imma-
terial.
The Northern Pacific might, and
probably will, reduce the freight train
time materially, but it is expected If
this is done it will be met by the o. r.
& N out Of Portland and the relative
standing of Seattle and Portland will
remain the same.
Railroad men do not regard the pro-
test that freights have been delayed
between Seattle and Walla Walla with
any degree of credence. They declare
that there may have been individual
cases where freight has not been de-
livered as promptly as it should be,
but on the whole they insist that the
Service is first class.
Whatever may be the outcome of i
the Northern Pacific's efforts to i'm
prove the train service between Seat |
tie and Walla Walla the contention |
that jobbers should make some con- |
cessions will still be made. The rail-
road men say that they cannot control |
the traffic through their own endeavors |
and insist upon some aid from the
wholesale merchants of Puget sound. |