St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-31
The Tariff OH Ocean Steamship
Freights in the Provision Line
Reported Stiffening.
How a High Arbitrament by the
southwestern Lines OH Lum-
Der Effects Northern Dealers.
Work Being Done on the Northern Pacific
Cascade Branch-Tunneling the
Cascade Range.
Matters Concerning the Montana Ranges and
What the Stockmen are Intend
ing to Do
A POOL MEETING.
Efforts on the Part of the Grand TrMilI to
Co

Efforts on the Part Of the Grand TTMnE to
Ger Larger Percentages.
Special to the Globe.
CHICAGO, March 30.-There are many in
teresting theories a1oat as to the probable
action and result of the pool meeting which
begins its session tomorrow. While many
believe that it will end in con-
cessions, good feeling and perpetu-
alton of the east-bound pool in
some form, there are others quite skeptical
on the point. Observers who reason from
the drift of events, and theorize from facts
gathered here and there, that it will come
to naught. One of these interesting theories
runs about as follows: The Chicago & Grand
Trunk has no wish or desire to stay in the
pool, and has been making quiet preparations
for several weeks to withdraw. For a
time its traffic ran largely over the percent
age that was allowed it, and it became in
debted to the pool to large. amount, but for
the last six weeks it has made no effort to
secure freight and its percentages have
fallen below sufficiently to equal
ize its debt and enable it to s,get
back its so per cent. of the gross
earnings which it would have had to turn
over to the pool, thus regulating the balance
without paying coin from its treasury. 1t
would naturally be supposed that under these
circumstances the Chicago IL Grand Trunk
would not require additional locomotives to
do decreasing business, but it is fact that
it has borrowed eighteen from the Great
Western division of the Grand Trunk and
transferred them to its own line, giving
bonds for their return to Canada in order to
comply with the custom house regulations.
Not only this, but it is pressing
work at the shops at Battle
Creek and Port Huron repairing locomotives,
and is in various ways taking advantage of
the slack traffic to put its opening equipment
in order, all of this to prepare for a grand
rush of freight when the time comes. Its
consent to remain in the pool for another
month was easily obtained, as it was not
ready for break, and adj
ditional time was just the thing needed.
When the meeting eOnvenes tomorrow it
will be in an independent position and able
to say, ''You see by our overrunniug per-
centages that we are enabled to take care of
a much larger tonnage, and that it is our
due, we must have it and it
must be granted, or the Chicago 81
Grand Trunk may be counted out" Its
an xiety to make bigger showing is easily
explain led, and the interest on first preference
bonds for the last quarter has not been paid.
The stock has dropped in the London mar
ket within the last three weeks, and
English investors are getting ugly.
A showing must be made in or
out of the pool. A meeting of the whole staff
was held recently at Montreal. The situa-
ton was canvassed and decision arrived at
to go on to swell traffic for the next few
months and thus avoid a row. committee
of investigation ana various other unpleasant
things, including meeting Of the operating
staff, have been held in Toledo TO discuss the
best measures of bringing the road up to the
highest efficiency, and it is intrenched and
ready for active war or purchased place.