One Man Now Holds Both Railroads That Built Seattle and Tacoma

The news that President Hill of the Great Northern railroad has acquired control of the Northern Pacific is of very profound import to the state of Washington. Whatever the future may have in store for us, it ends our reliance upon competition between the two roads reducing rates, unless, of course, Mr. Hill shall withdraw from the road he built.

If he continue his interest in both he will be an emperor among railroad kings. The Northern Pacific main line is 2,214 miles long, with branches giving a total mileage of 4,437, and connected with a steamship line to China and Japan, one to Alaska and one to Victoria. The Great Northern main line is 3,725 miles long, with a total mileage of 4,496. Altogether he will control 8,933 miles of road. What will he do with it?

President Hill has often said: "I am only a railroad man. I build and operate railroads to carry freight; it is your place to produce the freight." A sagacious railroad manager affords aid in creating freight traffic. Manipulators of stock make the traffic bear all the burden in the shape of freight rates it can. Since the Great Northern railroad was projected the people of this state have been looking forward to a more extensive market to be reached by rates which should place it in a better competitive position. The exceptionally dull times have prevented the railroad being put to a fair test; and now that the prospect of better business is before us, the advantages of a competing line seem to have been lost.

It is quite possible that, if President Hill is seeking only to minimize the effect of an exposition road, he may find it to his interest to develop business on both roads without suffering loss by cut-throat rates. He can do this, but it takes more time than bulling and bearing stock alternately with a hand on the throttle of both roads. President Hill is entitled, however, to our faith in his assurances that he is a railroad manager and not a stock jobber until he disabuses us of it.

The fact that Tacoma is the terminus of one road and Seattle the terminus of the other makes the news of particular interest to this city. We can see how advantageous an enlightened policy might be to both places; and we know by bitter experience how our trade could be harassed by an unfriendly management. We have every reason to believe that Mr. Hill is not inimical to Seattle, but it is still a matter of business with him and we will probably best make him our friend and ally by aiding in the development of traffic in all sections tributary to this city.