New-York tribune., 1884-01-15
THE TRUNK LINE WAR.
EFFORTS TO CoERcE LAcKAwANNA.
ITS THROUGH TRAFFIC NOT INTERRUPT ED-IHtNA
lines DISCUSSING PEACE MEASURES.
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western

The Delaware, Lackawanna ana c''cln
Railroad was receiving freight and running through pl'
OF loading yesterday as usual. 1t was ahho"c" " w
half Of the company that western connections were
upimnaired At Commissioner Fink's Office 1t was cx
plained that the order TO suspend ths TO
crption of through business from the LekF
wanna went into effect beginning ony
upon the freight received by 1t yesterday Ihe oruer
would be enforced at Buffalo tomorrow, the hme given
for tine arrival of yesterdays freight at that city II was
denied that the pool order had suspended its exc
cnon postponed beyond the time originally xed for II
Mr. Fink stated that propositions had been made looking
TO an adjustment OF the complications existing pat
he declined to say what their nature was. They nave
not been acted upon, and the situation is unchanged
director OF company said that the pool lines were
IN somewhat of quandary, and TO gain time Dad post
poned the cuttlnsof Ofwestern connections at Bnhuo
few days 1t was suggested that the cause OF their heS
taton was the threat recently made by the LacRa"ahu
TO carry the matter into the courts Its not cohsdeeu
expcdicnt by many railroad officers TO contest legally the
questions in regard to pooling agreements at the pres
cnt time. Officers of the Lackawana ro'u
Yesterday when they were asked If their road
was taking through business beyond Buffalo Since
the extension Of the line TO Buffalo, they have frequently
denied that the company had any Intention oI PusHs 10
fSsG lnanenf that new road ffo Buffalo
Toledo would soon be begn dhe LlG"aW una f c|n 'r
received OF roads west Of Buffalo, and some Oh c
have certainly Dcen favorable but OF them mas Detn
accepted. The road from Buffalo to Brocton hisht ue
a
to Akron on the Fort WAYNE road. The proposed road
would easy of construction, and the Whoe llhe'
this kind have been received, but am really sure thaI
the directors have acted on any Of them Indeed
inclined 10 think that Mt sloan Is not Ill la'or Vi "a
tending the road west OF Buffalo"
ALFrTER FROM MR.. FINK.
In long letter defending the action of the western
railroads in withdrawing through the connection AT bDo
with the Lackawanna road, Commissioner FINK says
among other things.
arsto Ia
70 Buffalo it was invited TO Join with the others in efforts
to maintain the reasonable tarih rates , III
the Individual interests of the Lackawanna
Railroad should not only be protected bur pTPUdfu Dd b
Iackawanna Railroad, instead OF maintaining he through
tariffs OF the other companies made large Tec m % road
Is concerned is not questioned but It has no IhS bnu 10 I
dHcS bep res cdesen f'er IT. however the Iacawapna
Railroad in doing this had adopted ,he tPprg P,gg
might have been tho other roads could have made the
same rates and all roads, well IA all shippers W.u
have been on equal footing. But this plan dd sur ne m
making rates which Disseminated uniustly between
Ihe hppcrs over the other roads This method Of doing
business, while acceptable 10 tic Lay%ie1
Of public policy. The other companies are IeaM I 10
agree upon any tariff that the L1ckawanna hair"na %
might deem proper to make ana 10 cooI 10 ',V Ia nnf
But this tariff should be known ana mdde Punnc anu lU'
changed from day 10 day at the pleasure @ o any IrT
pany. This however, ala not suIt inc -, tiar
aroad That company wanted 10 charge less han other
/
arrangements with shippers var! ing VIII NG!O' rrar
pcr, simply for the purpose OF eainng thereby Iggd
amount OF traffic This state OF affairs has been aOWSu
continue so long that 1t has become lhpo9sLoo ro
cOmpctltOrs Of the L1cEaTGuHa Railroad 10 longer h
tain reasonable tariffs; and has made 1t necessary io
them Ocitler adopt the same otCluHtD ld vicb
has been adopted by the LackaWanna Kallloau, "hcn
means general Of rates, with hl the 'OHsequcuc
and results 10 railroads ana 10 the various OtHef IN
terest affected thereby, or 10 adopt s!ch "
may possible TO protect thems Gives icL II Int f
wanna aroad had only insisted upon asserting us s
to fix its rateSin other words TO manage ltS oTn
same traic would have reason 10 complain Inc MS
cheyous results Of his policy would have been coheu 10
the Lackawanna railroad. But with this that Company
content 1t has lately entered upon system ot
shippers at greatly reduced rates, embracing shipments
almost every point IN the country as iaf as tlg Tco ENC
authority from the roads west o. Buffalo which are com
connections Of the Iackawauna road and other trunk
lines but this action was taken in dTCc violation Of Tue
railroad with OF these connecting roads which stpu
late the conditions under which the Lackwauna railroad
should exchange through business WIN Haid roads 10
enable ii to extend it, business beyond ts own terminus
1t one OF the peculiar features OF the railroad prop
crty and one little understood by the IlbC at Hhsie
railroad manager, uuab" uioIeSee e maj consequences
and in his cndcayOr to gain few thousand dollars Tor
his company may throw INTO nanhlup'cy, one
half the railroad property or the United Satr' hruulg
his own. While there are laws to punish man VINO !
sets his own house On fire to gain some allahiISc,
and thereby destroys the property OF MS hesnol tn'ro
yet no laws 10 prevent railroad manager II lie so
tion from managing his own Pfoperi 20 as 10 nun Ie
property OF others. The spathies OF the public strange
appear, arc gCutiilN on MS sue, U''''@c tc
public are moi informed 70 the na consequence and
seem think that they benefited by ruiuOus contests
between railroad companies.
TIE COMPANY READY FOR a TIGHT.
BUFFALO, n. Y, Jan. IA war of freight
and passenger rates is growing out Of the action Of the
trunk lines ia the railroad pool which agreed TO boy
colt the New-York, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
General superintendent W. T. Halscad arrived here to-
iay and he talks in a confident manner which shows
determination fight lie said TO correspondent this
lltcruoon I'VE are not hunting for ht hut ready
Tor one This is the situation: Orders have been issued
all pool roads connecting with to refuse a.. freight
billed after II o'clock last night No freight billed alter
hat time yet reached here; of the roads have
yet had chance refuse to do business with the
The Central Ere, and West Shore When
hey do refuse freight the Lackawanna will be found
,qua to the occasion. good fight don't hurt a good
abroad; and the Lackawanna being arstclass railroad
: always prepared for war"
II l. reported that the roads going West from Buffalo
orders 10 boycott the Lackawanna In every way,
aid the correspondent.
THAT is probably true" said superintendent Hastead,
but will observe that offices not for rent
haven't stopped work trestles tracks, and
signs OF retiring business. The Lackaw
las been asleep while the competing roads have
'een preparing Tor %ar, and Is thoroughly
rclght billed after last midnight will hear from us"
f. II. Hubbard general western passenger agent, and
)thcr officials, talked in the same beigcrent manner;
While representatives OF the western railroads, notably
nc Michigan Central Lake Shore and Nickel Plate, say
hey VIII carry ont the boycotng orders OF tho pool
to the letter
II is probable that through fares between New York
md Buffalo will be greatly reduced.
OBITUARY.