St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-03
THE RAILROADS.
bhdt Has Been Gained by the Colorado
FiDht-The Nebraska business The Real
iChicago Tuhnne- al

iChicago Tribune, 81
That the fight in regard to the advance in
Colorado rates between the WESTERN roads
during the last few days has simply been a
lively skirmish for the purpose of securing
position in the real battle that is to be fought
next Tuesday between the Burlington and
the western Trunk Line association is gen
orally admitted. The Colorado matter was
not worth the powder expended upon it.
The advance in Colorado rates for five DAYS
only will not affect the revenue of any of the
roads, as no new business will be shipped
during that time. But it it established the
precedent that the Union Pacific can make
any arrangement it chooses independent of
its Eastern allies, point that the Burlington
has long since been trying to gain. AS is
generally known the Burlington has all along
refused to treat with the Western Trunk
Line association and denied that it was one
line through from Chicago to the Western
terminus of the Union Pacific Ii has de-
clared its entire willingness to enter into a
pooling agreement with the Union Pacific
west OF the Missouri river and into separate
agreement with the lines east OF the river,
| The Western Trunk Line association has all
along refused to entertain that proposition
OF the Burlington. and commended that if a
pool is made it must be from Chicago
through, locating the Urion Pacific and its
eastern allies as one line. Both sides have
stubbornly main tanned this position ever
! since the tripartite compact was made, and
it has become quite evident that peace be-
tween the Western roads could not be re-
stored unless one side or the other backed
down from its position. Both sides are no
doubt anxious to have peace restored
and profitable rates established, but neither
wants it to appear that it backed down. The
fact is established that Colorado and Utah
cannot well be restored and maintained so
long as the fight on Council Bluffs and Ne
braska is going on. The last fight in regard
to the Colorado rates was simply made to get
at the real points ut issue-namely: The
restoration of Nebraska rates. The Colorado
and Utah business amounts to but very
little, but the Nebraska business is immense.
and unless some agreement is made at Tues
days meeting by which the troubles between
the Burlington and the Western Trunk-Line
Association can be terminated the losses to
all the lines interested in this business will
be very heavy. The heavy cattle traffic from
Nebraska has just set in, and the roads are
naturally anxious to secure paving rates on
this business. But this cannot be done so
long as the Burlingtons and the Union
Paciic's eastern allies are at issue
regarding the division of this business
| The eastern allies of the Union Pacific de-
mand that all the cattle business from the
Union Pacific should be given to them at
Council Bluffs. The Burlington, on the
other hand, says it must have a share of that
business or else it will not maintain the
rates. The Union Pacific has long been
anyi0ue fa sntt1a fhtc
lington. but could not do so on account of
the opposition of its eastern allies. Consid-
cradle bad blood has already been made by
the discovery that the Union Pacific is now
giving portion of that business to the Bur
lington in spite of the terms of the tripartite
agreement aud the protests of the eastern
| allies of the Union Pacific. The Burlng ton
has taken advantage of The lack of harm Oh v
existing among the tripartite roads when
ever an opportunity offered, and for this rea-
son has gained several important points
against the Western Trunk Line Assoc
citation. By its position % in
the Colorado matter it would have scored a
point whether the rates were restored or not.
Ii the eastern allies of the Union Pacific had
refused to advance the rates, it would have
been able to claim that the Western Trunk
Line association is opposed TO an advance in
rates, and is trying to wreck things on gem
eral principles and thus create hostile feel
ing between the Union Pacific and its east
ern allies, as it is urgently necessary for the
future welfare of the Union Pacific that paw
ing rates and harmonious relations with the
Burlington be at once restored. As il is,
the Burlington has gained the point that II
can claim that Colorado rates were restored
without consulting the Western Trunk Line
association, and consequently the other
points at issue can be settled without recog-
nizing that association.