Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-11-01
FARES TO THE EAST.
The Cutting of Passenger Rates I'm
abated.
| San Francisco Chronicle. |

! The recent railroad conference and poo
! agreement resulting therefrOm have not re-
suited in stopping the scalping Of overland
! passenger rates by the roads east OF the
! Missouri river. Only the roads west Were
parties to the agreement, and the compact
was therefore not binding upon the former
! The rivalry among the various passenger
agents of eastern roads located in this city
! is as great as ever and reduction of 50;
on the regular third class rate of ST to
New York IS freely offered. On first class
tickets the reduction is little less, but in
neither case enough remains as the quota
| Of the roads east of the Missouri river to
make it an object for them to carry passen.
gers.
1--WE might as well carry passengers free
from Omaha to New York." remarked 6
ticket agent to a reporter yesterday "the
So or S4 which we get after settling with the
| Union and Central Pacific is not drop in
the bucket"
Don't these roads allow rebate or a
commission 81
mo, they do not. The Union Pacific
did cut rates to compete with the Denver
& Rio Grande, but since the late confer
ence they can do so no longer without
breaking up tne agreement.
How much do the Central and Union
Pacific divide among themselves as their
share?'
They ask and get 500 and $50 for first
and third class tickets from here to Omaha.
Therefore the sale of ticket by me at
S1O4 or S53 leaves S4 and So to be divided
by the roads east of the Missouri"
Then it is cheaper by about S25 to go East
via the Central and Union Pacific than by
way Of the Northern Pacific?'
Certainly"
But does that suit the Northern Pa
cifc?'
II hardly think it does. All the roads
ale anxious for the appointment of COM
missioner. If he comes out here he can
stop the war;
How can he do it if the warning roads
are not members of the Transcontinental
Association 2"
Easily enough. He can order the pool
lines to turn their tickets to the wall,
which means that they can refuse to sell
tickets over the fighting roads. That will
stop it,
DO the public get the benefit of the cut
rates?
"Well, l should say so. Every agent has
a couple of runners working the hotels.
No man can get within q block of his hotel
without being offered a reduction if he
will buy his ticket of the agents of the
Eastern roads. The latter are losing
thousands every month. There is some
satisfaction, however, in knowing that the
travelling public and not the hotel keepers
get the benefit of the reduction. You
know the allowance of a commission to
hotel keepe S started the cutting of rates
and made them dump passengers by the
omnibus full in front OF the commission
paying offices.
Inquiry at the ticket office of the North
ern Pacific showed the rates over that road
to be maintained at their full figures, the
Eastern connecting roads not being in
vOlved in the war in rates.
is it not uphill work to attract travel
when you have to charge S25 more than
the other offices?' the reporter asked of
ticket agent Johnson.
man readily. I'VE are not in that fight
We have nothing to do with it,
But nevertheless a person can travel
over the Central Pacific S25 cheaper than
over the Northern Pacific Is not that un-
fair to you:'
'The Central and Union Pacific are not
cutting rates. They stick to the agree
ment."
And reap the advantage of the war,
because it necessarily turns travel in their
direction"
But Mr.. Johnson could not be made to
see the matter in that light. He claimed
that travel over the Northern Pacific was
daily assuming greater dimensions and
that it was wholly unaffected by the war
in rates.
How does your company regard the
proposed reduction from 500 to S75 in the
rate between San Francisco and Omaha 2"
next asked the reporter.
"Oh, that has not been decided upon
yet That matter will come up at the
Kansas conference next week"
but the adoption of a reduction will, of
course, compel you to come down with the
rates also?'
"Of course. But it will not make any
points in favor of the Central and Union
Pacific. We don't intend to take passen-
gers via San Francisco. Our road connects
with the Union Pacific at Garrison, and
soon the Short Line will be ready. The
Central Pacific is not going to get much
pro rata out of Oregon passengers Mean
while my orders are not to sell any tickets
below the regular rates."