The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-18
Threatened Action Against Har.
riman System Helps Hill.
Southern Pacific Must Cut Out
Portland Tourist Business.
SHUTS OUT SEATTLE.
Northern Pacific Road Only
Gateway to Puget Sound.
other Items of Interest in
Railway Circles.


II is believed that the Hartman
nhes are barred from retaliating upon
the Hill lines, for the closing the Port
land gateway, by the defense they
nave TO make to the proceedings of the
government to dissolve the combina-
tion. Inc allied lines will have to con-
tend that they are distinct and COM
| petitive. Force would be given to the
Sohtention OF the government if the
southern Pacific should make common
cause with the Union Pacific 1t would
De considered evidence of an illegal
| merger of the lines
Ihe situation does not affect round
| trip tourist tickets from the east to
Puget Sound cities through the Hunt
lngton gateway from points west of
Denver. Portland must be made the
destination, baggage rechecked and new
| tickets bought to continue the remain
der or the journey. The following
statement has been made by A d.
| Charlton, assistant general passenger
agent of the Northern Pacific:
The ruling of the commission re-
| curing concurrence of our line in tar
| ifs to the Pacific Northwest and with
| out which through tickets via Port
| land cannot be sold in the east, has no
| effect on the Interchange of business
covering roundtrip tickets. Only one
| way business is affected. There is con-
| currence between our road and the
| Southern Pacific in the ticketing of
business from California via the North
ern Pacific, for local as we'll as through
| traffic.
| Interchange California Business.
We also concur in the interchange
| covering all westbound business into
| California. We do not anticipate any
| change in our relations with the South
ern Pacific, as it is a distinct and sep
arate line from the Oregon Navigation,
!. y-z11
Pacific system, and we all know that
| the Southern Pacific is a competitor of
| the Oregon Navigation, the Oregon
| Short Line and the Union Pacific for
this business. Portland loses nothing
as the gateway has been opened by
| the Spokane, Portland & Seattle. Tour
| list business through Portland is not
confined to the Northern Pacific, but
may be conducted as usual over the
Great Northern and the Canadian
Pacific.
Notwithstanding this reassuring
statement, railroad men outside the
Hill lines are not comfortable, as re-
suit of the closing of the Portland gate
way. 1t is said that the cause lies
further back than the ruling of the
commission and is found in the refusal
of the Hill lines to participate in the
agreement of tranScOnt1nental lines.
This permitted Hartman lines taking
passengers through the Huntington
| to absorb the local fare between Port
| land and Puget Sound cities. The re-
fusal of the Hill lines was followed by
| the action of the commission in ruling
that nonparticipating roads could not
be legally forced to accept through
| tickets of other lines. The object of the
Hill lines was obviously to get the long
| haul from the east rather than permit
| the Hartman lines to carry passen-
gers clear to Portland before the Hill
| lines earned anything on tn traffic.
| Passengers to Puget Sound from Den
| yer or east of that city must travel via
Billings or st. Paul, unless they want
| to pay the additional local fare from
| Portland. 1t must also be paid on the
| return journey through Portland
| Points west Of Denver including Salt
Lake City, Ogden and others, can still
sell tickets to Puget Sound stations
| via Portland, since the territory Is not
| competitive with the Hill lines. To all
| far eastern points the bars have been
put up by the interstate commission
Will Cut Down Tourist Travel.
In the opinion of railroad men the
effect will be to cut down to con-
| siderable extent the customary sum-
| mer tourist travel to Puget Sound
| through Portland, with corresponding