The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-12-07
THE GRAND CUT.

Just now, when the great railroad wat
is monopolizing large share of public at
tention, anything presented upon the sub
ect by apparently unbiased or disinterest-
ed persons will have its weight with
sensible, thinking people From day to
day, ever since the rate war was inaugura-
ted, the ARGUS has striyen faithfully to
keep its readers in the three cities fully
posted respecting the freshest develop
ments Another meeting of the railroad
magnates is to be held in New York city
to morrow to bring about if possible a
settlement of existing controversies. Mean
time Chicago correspondent steps to the
front in this manner
The Northwestern war in railroad circles
may serve to bring to light questionable
policy, or principle, or practice. that is seen
to be result of carrying competition to
the farthest point possible. The writer
has reference to the action and the attitude
of two or more railroads. in forming q
combination and "a new route" for the
purpose of getting into pool to which
either or any one of them would be denied
admission. The Albert Lea route to St.
Paul and Minneapolis furnishes one ex-
ample and a case in point, and, from pre-
sent appearance, q Sioux City route" to
Council Bluffs and Omaha promises to
furnish another.
There Is no disputing the right of two.
three, or five railroad companies to COM
bine, if they want to, but when they can
not offer a fairly competitive route, in
point of distance and time more particular
", it is a debatable point whether
THE ROUNDABOUT ROUTE,
the profits of which are divided up among
roads whose legitimate carrying trade is
els 9where, should be awarded an
equal sharon any shaTe-Cf the business
pooled by the regular and shorter routes.
The distance from Chicago to St Paul
by either of the older and regular routes is
400 miles. By the new route it is $50
miles longer.
81 Looking at the mass and footing up dis
tances on the time cards it is found that
if the Burlington road had another connec-
ton from Clinton to ST. Paul than the St
Paul road, or If the track from Clinton to
St. Paul was owned by an outside road,
the Clinton route" to st. Paul would be
shorter by sixty-four miles than the Albert
Lea route, Again, if the track between
Mona and st. Paul belonged to another
road than the st. Paul, and one outside the
pool. the Illinois Central might boast of
its Mona route" to ST. Paul as forty miles |
shorter than the Albert Lea Route. Yet |
The latter line asks One-third of the bust |
ness between Chicago and ST. Paul. |
Would
HONEST ARBITRATION
make such an award?
The Sioux City route to Omaha, com
posed of roads that combine to obtain |
hare of business to which individually |
hey are not entitled. is found to be 627
Nils long, as against 400 and 500 miles by
he four roads running directly from Chi
ago to Omaha. Is the Sioux City route.
IS whole, entitled to onc-fifth of the
chicago and Omaha business as pooled?
f the principle obtains, and the Albert Lea
cute to st Paul and the Sioux City route
o Omaha prevail" in the pools they wish
o enter or smash-or, in the case of the
ormer, to keep smashed-we may look for
n indefinite number of new Through |
outes between all pooling points.
In view of the presumption of the Albert
1ea route to ST. Paul. it is surprising. in
eed, why the Burlington road has not
Ong ago come to the front as a passenger
inc between Chicago and ST. Louis. The
Burlington could run its own cars over its
wn tracks and reach St. Louis, via Gales
urg and Bushnell. making the distance
My forty-nine miles greater than via the
illinois Central.
hould properly come up for arbitration
nd settlement at the present time.
SPECTATOR