The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-17
Renewal Of Battle Between Two Great Roads Commenced in 1891 For
Control Of The n PRoue From Pasco to The Sea First
Held By Union Pacific But Great Northern
People Anticipated Their Rivals
HILL PROPOSES AMENDMENT T0lACY BILL
Which PrNted For Forfeiture Rights Way Later Secured By the H hsrsss-s
Amendment be Fought Bitter End and Case May End Floor Prominent
Legal Lights % on Both Sides Washington and Some Fire Works Promised

ture existing in the state of Colorado
and without reference to the contro-
versy on the Columbia river. Now
comes the Hill interests with an
amendment to the Lacey bill, which is
in the Committee on Public Lands of
the Senate, providing for forfeiture
of the right of way where, under the
provisions of the Act of 1875, the COM
pany receiving the grant had not COM
menced operationst prior to the Sec
ond day of April" of the present year.
This was the date of the passage in
the House of the Lacey bill
Eminent counsel representing the
two disagreeing railroad interests on
the Columbia river are slated to ap-
pear before the Senate Committee ON
Public Lands at its meeting tomorrow
and it is within the probabilities that
spirited contest will ensue before
that committee. It is likely that the
whole controversy will be carried to
the floor of the Senate. 1t will doubt
less be held by the Hartman inter-
ests that, proceedings having been in
stituted before the court. congress
should refrain from attempting to leg
islate on the subject; while, on the
other hand. the Hill interests will con-
tend that, the rights of the Union
Pacific having expired by operation of
law, the Hartman people have no
standing before the court. 1t is claimed
by the Hill people that the Hartman
interests did not commence work upon
the proposed line until after the pass
age of the Lacey bill in the House
April 2, and several months after con-
struction had commenced by the Hill
interests.
The whole controversy gives rise to
the assertion of some interesting legal
distinctions, and in view of the i'm
mense interests involved the contest
promises to be waged with great earn
estness on both sides. The construc-
ton of Hill line from Pasco to Port
land would give the Hill roads much
shorter route to tidewater on the
Columbia river and at the same time
would establish a sharp competitor of
the Oregon Short Line. Necessarily
the people of Portland and Astoria, as
we'll as those Of the adjacent terri
tory along the north bank of the
Columbia river, are extremely hopeful
for the success of the Hill enterprise.
1t is said that the efforts of the Hill
people to secure additional railway
facilities into Portland are prompted
not so much by desire to compete
with the Hartman interests for the
business of that section as by the
necessity for additional railway facili-
ties from the east to the Pacific coast.
At the present time the capacity of the
Northern Pacific over the Cascades is
sorely tested. The growth of business
has been so great in the last few years
that at the present moment the CON-
pany is not in position to move but a
very small fraction beyond one half
of the business that would otherwise
come to 1t. So great is their business
that they are now obliged to send
very large share of their east-bound
traffic from the Pacific over other
lines, all of which indicates the won
derful growth of business in the west
ern country. ts.ss
1t is asserted by officials of the Hill
roads that they are much more inter-
ested in the subject of caring for the
rapidly growing business along their
lines than they are in congressional
rate legislation. If they can contrive
to take care of the business that comes
to them they will be perfectly willing
that congress should devise any
scheme that it may see fit to advance
to reduce rates, assuming of course,
that congress will not exceed consti-
tutional and legal bounds.