Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-05-11
No Rate War Here.

The officials of the direct lines between
Chicago and ST. Paul, located here, are not
aware of any misunderstanding existing
with regarding to passenger rates TO ana
from the northwest. The traffic agree
ment entered into last fall, to maintain
passenger rates for one year, each line
taking ali the business it could get aud
keeping what it secured, seems to be work
ing smoothly, and no serious difficulty has
as yet been encountered. Each line IS get
ting about proper proportion, and all are
apparently well satisfied. If war on pas
senger rates between Chicago and Council
Bluffs inaugurated, as limited at in spe-
ciaI dispatch to the GLOBE yesterday 1T may
have the effect of complicating matters
between st. Paul s. Chicago, as three of
the leading lines between Chicago and
Council Bluffs are also parties to the north
western passenger traffic agreement, viz:
The Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul, the
Chicago & Northwestern and the Chicago,
Rock Island & Pacific.
The "Iowa Pool" the disruption of which
is now threatened, is one of the Oldest
pools in existence, having been in
operation for about ten years. The
lines parties to this pool are the
Chicago Burlington & Quincy, the Chicago
& Northwestern and the Chicago, Rock
Island q Pacific railroads. The basis of
the pool is an equal division of gross earn
ings, regardless of the amount earned by
any one company. 1t would seem under
an arrangement of this kind that the line
carrying the least business would be the
better off, but the strife between the lines
has been quite as bitter as though no pool
were in existence. On so ticket from
Chicago to Council Bluffs each pool
lines proportion would be $685.
and yet certain line in the pool has been
known to pay as high as $3.50 commission
on such ticket, or 1873 cents more than
it received. All lines in the pool pay a
StSidelOdM commission" of one dollar in
Chicago, and the strife has become so bit |
ter in San Francisco that as high as eight
and ten dollars "street commission" on a
ticket to New York has been paid to hack |
men, hotel arummers, ETC., all of which
was borne by the lines east of the Missouri
river. Within the past eight months two
new lines have been opened between Chi
cago and Council Bluffs, the Chicago, Mil
waukee & st. Paul and the "Wabash."
The pool lines have been anxious to take
Iu0SO low llAoo 1AIO OIO SOL0O4AdSAOhs Oub
the Milwaukee & st. Paul declined to go
in until the troubles between Chicago and
st. Paul were settled, and the pool re-or-
ganized on a common sense basis. The
Milwaukee & st. Paul being the short line
between Chicago and Council Bluffs, and
being free from any entangling alliances,
has been able to carry large share of the
business between Chicago and Council
I'm &c hoe an.
noying to the pool, and it may be that a
war will be necessary to settle the diff
Guilty. 1t is to be hoped that such war
may be averted, as they are of no advan-
tage to the public, because they derange
values and divert trade from its legitimate
channels, as was illustrated last fall when
every one went to Chicago from this terri
tory and bought their holiday goods,
clothing, and dry goods, leaving the mer
chants of the northwest with their stocks
on their shelves.