The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-02-15
JIM HILLS PHILANTHROPY

Nnen Jllli f1llI, PRESIDENT OF tne
Great Northern Ry. Co, met the far
mers of Whitman county in confer
,nce al COlfax, he posed as philan-
,hrOplst and talked eloQuently of the
great work which the railroads had
done and proposed to do to Develop
this state and to aid the farmers, says
The ColfaX CommOner. With all the
energy 1T his command he warned his
hearers not TO Try to regulate freight
rates by Legislation and said: You
might just AS we'll try to Set an ankle
10 lower a freight rate by the same
means. You can legislate until the
barn door falls off it's hinges with rust,
and you will not succeed" He also
discoursed eloquently upon the pos
SiblitieS OF the Oriental trade and
told how he was lying awake nights
devising plans which would enable
the farmers and millers of this state
to find a profitable market for their
eerat many people believed his state
ments and decided to oppose any rail-
road legislation.
a few days ago Mr.. Hill made a
speech before a meeting of Minnesota
farmers and is quoted as saying:
80 great is the oriental demand
that today it is making itself felt in
the price of every bushel of wheat
that IS sold in the Minneapolis market.
The most intelligent authority l know
told me within d few weeks the lowest
estimate he could make of the enhanced
price of grain in Minneapolis owing to
this Oriental demand was cents. and
he thought that actual figures would
show cents per bushel. That would
mean $9.000.000 on our 10000, 600
bushels. That is worth making an
effort to bring about, and we have in
every way in our power tried to make
it possible to carry that into effect
Why has the oriental trade enhanced
the value of Minnesota wheat when the
farmers and mlIers Of this state. 1900
miles nearer the Oriental market. stand
ready to supply the demand? Simply
| because Mr.. Hill, in his philanthropic
desire to aid the farmers, h;uls Min
Of !,
| in order to bring it into competition
with Washington flour in supplying the
Oriental market. In other words he
gives a rate Of IS per ton on flour
from Minneapolis to Hong Kong. which
| is only Il few cents more than he eX-
acts for transporting flour from east
ern Washington to Hong Kong. despite
the difference Of about 1900 miles in
| the length of the haul.
| In concluding his address to the far
mers of Whitman county, Mr. Hill said:
Now. | hope that the result of this
, conference will be q lesson to all of
/ You that we are always willing to treat
with YOU direct for the remedy of
grievances and the consideration of
complaints. If ever in the future you
have anything to complain of come to
US. If YOU are ever sick send for us
| We will come and we will do what we
can for you. We may not be able al
ways to cure you. but this much We
can do. we can hold your hand
1t is up to Mr.. Hill to make good his
promise. The farmers of eastern
| Washington have a grievance. The!
ibelieve that Mr.. Hill is discriminating
against their wheat in the interest o.
Minnesota farmers.
/ But unless The CommOner mistake:
the sentiment of the people. they viii
not. as supplicants. send for Mr.. Hill
to come and hold their hands, but will
shake off the grip of the railroad lob
by, assert their rights as citizens an(
create railroad commission with am
pie power to compel Mr.. Hills railroad
| and all others in the state to give fai
land equitable freight rates.
The people Of this state want justice
and not philanthropy from the hand
! Of Mr. Hill and his associates.