The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-05-27
Advantages from Open River
Not Going to Fall into Your
Lap, Says Tyler
ROAD SUPERINTENDENT
SPEAKS AT LUNCHEON
r..;lities Count for More in Building
I'm Distributing Center than
Cheap Freight Rates

"DOn't think the DeneICS WHICH
riehtfully belong to you by reason OF
YOUR location on the Columbia river
At the point where three railroads
cross it, are going to fall into your
Ian. Because they are not. Find
what benefits you are entitled to, and
than 20 after them, but first make
sure that you are prepared to handle
them when they come," said Super
;ntendent w. T. Tyler, of the Pasco
division of the Northern Pacific, at
the weekly Commercial club luncheon
Wednesday.
supt. Tyler attended the luncheon
in response to the clubs invitation
that he come over and tell the business
man Of Kennewick what effect the
recent rate decisions would have upon
freight rates in and out Of Kennewick.
In accepting the invitation Mr.. Tyler
explaInsd that since he represented
the operating and not the traffic de-
partment, he could only talk rates in
. general way. He assured the men
Of Kennewick, however, that he would
be only too willing to lay any of their
complaints or requests before the traf-
fc omcials Of his company.
He said that just now nobody knows
very much about freight tariffs as
the whole system is undergoing re-
adjustment to meet the demands Of
recent rulings of interstate and state
commissions and to meet changed con-
ditions brought about by the compile
tion of the Panama canal and the
opening of the Columbia river. He
said he believed the river towns would
reap material benefits from the open
river and predicted that the railroads
would likewise be benefited.
From standpoint Of commercial
development, there is no denying the
fact that this is favored location,
but in striving for things commercial
DO not overlook the unusual opportun-
tiles that are here for horticultural
and agricultural development" said
the speaker. you have country trib-
utary to your town that offers great
possibilities and as this country grows
your town will grow and as this coun-
Try prospers so will the railroads pros
per. 1t is true that agricultural pro-
Ducts amount to only IA per cent of
tne total tonnage handled by the rail-
roads, yet this small per centage is
one OF the most important items in our
business. There are two reasons for
tms. AS rule agricultural products
travel in the opposite direction to the
Voiume Of our traffic and gives an
opportunity to load equipment that
o'nerwfse would have to be carried
DscA empty, but the real value of this
ilem is that increased agricultural
products means increased buying pow
q ana consequently increased traffic
m an commodities. If the steamboats,
vi tne river from now on should carry
every bushel of wheat down the river
ana oy reason of their carrying it the
producers should increase their net
earnings by Is per cent the railroads
Nouid benefit thereby. Whenever a
iai!road company extends its lines
ana opens up new territory it does
ao' expect to realize returns on the
sonnage it will carry out of that ter
a a.aory so much as on the incoming
commodities purchased through the
'a,e Oh the outgoing products"
, r' Tyler assured the clubmen that
ae could be relied upon at all times
- cooperate with them fully in any
enterprise that tended to the up-build-
ns either of the town or the sur
sounding country. He said that as
SUN as the rate situation became a