St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-16
ST. PAUL NEWS.
THE RAILROADS.
The linton Pucitfc and burlington A,acious
to Join Hands to Meet the Threat
ened Competition of The North

to Join Hands to Meet the Threat
ened Competition of The North
1ceStern.
The Northwestern having requested of its
eastern connections as well as the Union
Pacific its western connections that it will
not permit any of its business consigned to
Western Trunk Line association or Califor-
MIA fast freight line to be diverted over any
other lines than its own will compel the
Union Pacific to disclose its position at once
10 the tripartite complications. The eastern
connections of the Northwestern will OF
course comply with the request of the latter,
but what the Union Pacific will do has not
yet transpired If it complies with the re-
quest of the Northwestern and refuses to di-
vert the latter's business as requested by the
Western Trunk Line association, it would be
conclusive proof that it is not in harmony
with the Rock Island and Milwaukee q st.
Paul. and will not aid them in carrying out
the original tripartite agreement If it takes
this position, then the Rock Island and Mil
waukee & st. Paul will have no other alterna-
tive than to sue it for breach of contract. If
1t does not comply with the Northwestern
request and besides to take sides with its or
iginal allies-the Rock Island and the Mil
waukee 81 st. Paul-then the Northwestern
will have to take legal action against it in
order to find out whether it can
lawfully divert freight from one road to
another, or discriminate in favor of one
road against another. In either event the
Union Pacific will have a hard road to travel
1t is the general opinion that the Union Pa
cifc would prefer to get out of the tripartite
combination altogether, and is anxious to
form an offensive and defensive treaty with
the Burlington on all business west from the
Missouri river. 1t is stated that all arrange
ments for such a treaty have been perfected,
but cannot be carried out so long as the tri-
partitc complications are unsettled. The
Union Pacific and Burlington are the more
anxious to join hands on account of the po-
sition lately taken by the Chicago 81 North
western. But little doubt is expressed that
this road really means to at once extend its
Sioux City " Pacific road through Wyoming
to a connection with the Central Pacific and
and probably through to the Pacific coast
As the Northwestern is controlled by Van
ierblt there can be no doubt as to its ability
20 carry out such a project. With such
line the Northwestern would prove a most
formidable competitor against all the other
Pacific roads. There are some, however,
who do not believe that the Northwestern
seriously contemplates tie building of such
line, though they consider it probable that
an extension may be made through Wyom-
ing, but no further. In either event, how
ever, the Northwestern would be able to
greatly injure the Union Pacific and the Bur
lington, and it is therefore necessary that
those roads should join hands in an offensive
and defensive treaty to be prepared to meet
the competition of the Northwestern when it
gets into the field.