The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-03-28
HARTMAN out Of m
NORTHERN ROADS HAVE GAINED
GREAT ADVANTAGE OVER
SOUTHERN ROUTE.
Union Pacific Lines Cannot comn.,.
In Territory Dominated by Northern
Pacific Interests Tickets Are with.
drawn From Tacoma and se.++,.
Offices.

Offices.
Tacoma, March 21.-The Ledger to-
day says:
Undisputed control of transcontinen.
tai passenger business to and from
Puget sound. the Grays Harbor coun-
try and other Washington points was
officially conceded to James ]. Hill
and his Great Northern and Northern
Pacific railroads yesterday by the Har-
riman interests. John M. Scott. as
sistant general passenger agent of the
Oregon Short Line and Southern Pa
cific railroad, with headquarters at
Portland, came to Tacoma and with
drew from sale all tickets at the local
Hartman office. From Tacoma Mr..
Scott went to Seattle, where similar
action was taken.
Until the Portland-Seattle extension
is constructed Hartman may partici-
pate in the passenger business to and
from Puget sound and the Grays Har-
Dor country only by routing over the
Great Northern or Northern Pacific
lines by way Of Spokane. He may
send traffic by way of Portland after
adding the Northern Pacific's fare of
$4.35 between Tacoma and that point,
in addition to the regular rate from
the East. Under present conditions
Hill is in position to ignore Harri-
man entirely, and the latter is power
less to help himself unless he pro-
vOkes rate war or builds the Seattle
Portland line.
The victory conceded Hill by Harri-
man yesterday is the result of a care
to freeze his rival out of a territory
which he claims by prior right. AL
though the Northern Pacific has never
concurred in Hartman tariffs for Pu-
get sound, the roads have interchanged
courtesies. With the completion of
the North Bank road, which parallels
practically the o. r. & N. along the
Columbia from Eastern Washington to
Portland, Hill has put himself in po-
sition to bid for business formerly con-
trolled by Hartman. Thirty days ago,
following the interstate commissions
ruling that concurrence in tariffs be-
tween two railroads, one of which does
fhn inn Of fhn nfh
shall be optional with the company
whose line is used, Hill secured the
opportunity to gain a long-sought as
cendancy over Hartman.
Hill Refused to Sell Tickets.
AS told in the Ledger of March II,
an order was issued from the traffic
department of the Northern Pacific at
st. Paul forbidding the sale of tickets
to Hartman between Tacoma and
Portland on and after March Is. Tech
nicalities delayed the enforcement of
this order for some days, and many
railroad men believed Hartman would
attempt to defy the interstate COM
mission. Action taken yesterday and
statements of officials show that Har-
riman has decided to submit.
I'VE shall, of course, obey the rul-
ing" stated Assistant General Passen-
ger Agent Scott yesterday, though 1t
may go little hard with us. When
the Union Pacific line is extended to
Tacoma we will be in position to
meet the rate, but we cannot do so at
nresent unless the commissions rul-
ing is altered"
1T is the policy of the Hartman
lines to be law-abiding and to respect
the rulings of the interstate commits
sion," said Robert Lee, local Hartman
agent. "The Tacoma office will be
maintained. We can route business
east via the Northern Pacific or Great
Northern by way of Spokane, and can
sell tickets from Portland east"
That Hartman intends TO retaliate
is apparent from his recent announce
ment of rates to Pacific coast points
following a stormy session OF the
Transcontinental Passenger Associa-
ton in Chicago. Effective June l 10
September 80, the summer rate from
Chicago to all points on the coast from
San Diego, Cal, to Vancouver, b. o.,
will be $3.50, which is $3.50 lower
than the rate last year. The rate from
ST. Louis will be $67.5O and from
Omaha and Kansas City $50.
Hartman Cut Tourist Rates.
It has been contended by the Hill
interests that summer tourist rates
should not be instituted, arguing tnat
minimum basis of 2 cents mile
would be more profitable for the rall-
roads. The outcome was the serving
of notice by Hartman on Hill ana
santa Fe interests that summer rates
from Chicago over his lines to racine
coast points would be made on tne
basis of the summer tourist rates 70
Colorado. :.
The local Hartman office VIII De
maintained in its present location cor
ner of Eleventh street and Pacinc ase
me The office force win be reduced
April on account Of decrease IN DUST