St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-18
THE RAILROADS.
The Trunk Lines Deferstfaed TO Break Up
the Ccnfrat Paeife's Monopoly
on California Business.

Inc Trunk Lines Deferntfsaed TO Break Up
the Central Pacife's Monopoly
on California business.
The Tribune Of Wednesday morning states,
that after getting through their work in Chi
cago last week the transcontinental pool
lines were congrstulsting themselves that the
most threatening obstacle in the way of 3
continuance Of their pool bad been over
come by the agreement with Chicago, St.
Louis, Pittsburg and other interior points,
providing freight rates and divisions on CAL
ifornia through business. When the COM
missioner Of the association and the freight
managers Of lines forming that pool left
for New York last Thursday they expected
to have but little difficulty in getting the
trunk lines to confirm the New York rates
recommended by them. But upon reaching
New York and meeting the trunk line repre-
sentatives they struck a snag that not
only bids fair to destroy all the work here
tofore accomplished, but is likely to break up
! the Transconunental association, and bring
on a serious war in California freight rates.
! Com mission er Fl nix and the representatives o
the trunk lines thought they could discover
in the proposition of the trsnseOntinental
/ lines a scheme to perpetuate the monopoly Of
the Central Pacific, and they peremptorily re-
fused 10 accept the new rates proposed by the
California lines, or any rates unless they
agreed TO pool all the California business
/ from New York, that going by the all-rail
/ lines via Chicago and ST. Louis, as well as
/ that going by the ocean and rail lines via
/ New Orleans and Galveston. This an
nouncement acted like the explosion Of
bOmbshell upon the representatives Of the
/ Central Pacific. They we're willing TO make
concessions on the all rail business,
and even pool it, but they were not
! prepared 10 give up the advantages
they have enjoyed thus far By diverting all
the business they could to the ocean and rail
line via Galveston and New Orleans, which
/ line they control alone all the way from New
/ York TO San Francisco. The trunk lines claim
that fully two-thirds Of the California through
business went by the ''Sunset Route" New
4 Orleans and Galveston route), aud that tho
] Central Pacific secured this by Systematically
cutting the rates. IL made the rates via the
| Sunset route so low that shippers at Buffalo,
! Pittsburg, and other interior eastern points
even found il TO their advantage 10 ship their
/ California business 10 New York and thence
| by the water and rail line OF the Central Pa
cific 10 San Francisco. thus preventing the
! trunk lines as well as the lines
west from Chicago from getting the share
! Of the California business 10 which they were
| Justly entitled. resolution was intro
! duced by the trunk lines proposing 4 pool
on all California business from New
York, whether by all rail or water and rail
lines, and that the percentages be fixed by
arbitration. Commissioner Fink and Traffic
] Manager Hayden of the New York Central
made effective speeches, showing the neces-
sity Of such an agreement il unjust diserimi-
IN is to be avoided hereafter. They
stated that if the proposition was not &C
cepted the trunk lines would make such
rates rs would meet the competition by the
! Central Paciic's ''Sunset Route, and they
would not allow business from the interior 10
be shipped back to New York snd thence by
the "Sunset Route" to California, but would
| try 20 direct it into its proper channel. Traf-
! &c Manager Stubs Of the Central Pacific de-
clined TO accede to the proposition Of the
trunk lines. Under no consideration would
be allow the matter of percentage TO be fixed
by arbitration. If the trunk lines would
agree TO base the percentages strictly
/ upon the business carried during the
/ last twelve months his company
might submit TO pooling agree
ment. The trunk line representatives, now
ever, refused TO listen TO any such PROPOSE
ton, as the ''Sunsct Route during the last
twelve months had managed by unfair means
TO secure the great bulk OF the traffic, and If
percentages were fixed on the basis proposed
| by the Central Pacific the ''Sunset Route''
would continue to get the'bulk of the bust
ness. Both sides stuck firmly to their re-
spective positions, and the meeting broke up
without having accomplished anything.
Tuesday afternoon the general managers
and general officers OF the roads in the trans
continental association met at the Grand
Pacific TO discuss the situation aud see what
could be done TO prevent the dissolution OF
| the California pool. The present association
terminates Jan. l. 1885, the Central Pacific
having given notice of withdrawal because
| dissatisfied with the percentages awarded by
Arbitrator Tucker. The committee which
went 10 New York to meet the eastern trunk
| line representatives regarding the establish
ment Of a freight tariff for 1855 was on hand
and through Commissioner Ristine
submitted a report setting forth the facts
related above. The report called forth an
animated discussion which lasted until late
in the evening, when the meeting adjourned
until 10 O'Clock this morning. It transpired
that all the lines with the exception Of the
Canadian Pacific were of the opinion
that the position taken by the
trunk lines was a fair one aud that the Cen
trial Pacific should make the concession de-
manded. That road, however, would not
make any such concessions The Central
Pacific seems to be determined to stick TO the
advantages it has thus far enjoyed and is not
likely TO give them up unless compelled TO do
so. IL il does prefer to fight the other lines
will no longer be at its mercy, as It's monop-
oily on the business in California has been
broken, there being now two independent
lines that reach San Francisco-the Atlantic
81 Pacific and the Norther Pacific, aud it is
understood that the Texas Pacific has also
traffic agreement with the Southern Pacific
(Which is owned by the Central Pacife) on
through business, making it virtually indie
dependent OF that company.
Union Pacific.
II reports are true the Burlington Is likely
to head off the Northwestern in its attempt
to reach the Niobrara country, in northern
Nebraska. AS it is generally known, the
Northwestern has decided TO extend its
Sioux City & Pacific line ninety miles iuto
that country, which is furnishing a large
amount of cattle and other traffic The con-
struction of the extension, however, is not
TO be commenced until next spring. The
Burlington, 1t is learned, has now a corps Of
surveyors in the ield surveying line from
Grand Island, Neb., into the Niobrara coun-
try, which is to cover the same territory as