Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-11-11
VIEW TRUNK LINE PLAN.
Full Details of the Proposed Contract IN
Provide Uniform Rates,

FuH Details OF the Proposed Contract to.
Provide Uniform Rates.
New YORK, Nov. 6.-The Times this
morning has the full details of thepro-
posed contract of the new trunk line
plan.
The plan contemplates practically q
central body which shall have control of
the administration of the railroad business
throughout the United States, provision to
be made in the committee to be formed,
with power to endorse their DEGREES, for a,
representation OF each OF eight trunk lines
The presidents will constitute committee
with authority to select an arbitra-
tor and commissioner. This commit
tee will settle only broad questions
OF policy, the details being left
to other committees. The commissioner .
who will be chairman of the president's COM
mittee, will have the naming of the Trunk
Line executive committee, which will consist
of the vice-presidents. This joint executive
committee will appoint a freight and pas
senger committee, which will be made up of
the traffic managers or general freight and
passenger agents. The commissioner, from
these subcommittee will select a chairman,
and to these will be given authority to act
as commissioners. one for freight business,
and q second for passenger traffic. No
one Will be appointed to a position
either upon the passenger or freight COM
mlttee, who has not full authority in his
own company over the department which
he represents in the committee. Prompt
action is provided for on any sub
iect that may be brought to the at
tention Of the committee. Commissioner
Fink will probably be selected as arbitra-
tor, and the chairmen of the passenger and
freight pools will also probably act as ar
.bltrators, besides acting as chairman of
their respective committees. Whenever
any complaint of a breach of con-
tract for the strict maintenance of
rates is made, the committee of the
department affected will be convened at
once. Should the representative of any
company be absent the chairman may act
in his place, and whatever action is taken
shall remain in force until such company
shall be present by it's authorized agent
The arbitrators selected shall devote all
their time to the work of the commission,
and in case of a disagreement on the part
Of their respective committees they are
authorized, upon an agreed statement of
facts, to arbitrate at once, their decision
remaining in force until a reversal by a
higher committee. The executive com
mittee will therefore have no cause
for action except on such matters as
may be outside the question of tariffs
and division OF traffic, except on appeals
from the action of the freight or passenger
will not have any special business except
over such questions as the executive COM
mlttee fail to agree upon and the action of
the subordinate arbitrators is appealed
from. All this provides for carrying mat
ters up to the highest authority, the arbi-
traitor himself; but the action of the ma
jority is to stand in every case until re-
versed by the higher authority Each of
the trunk lines is made responsible
for the acts of it's Western con-
nections, the New York Central being
held for whatever infringement of the con-
tract may be traced to the Lake Shore, the
Michigan Central the Canada Southern or
the Nickel Plate; and the Pennsylvania for
the Fort Wayne, the Chicago, ST. Louis q
Pittsburg, and the Pittsburg, Cincinnati &
ST. Louis. and SO on. All roads connecting
with the trunk lines and their controlled
roads are classed as affiliated roads, and
are entitled to representation in the Joint
committee, which is made up of representa-
tives of these roads and of the members
of the trunk line executive committee.
This committee will have authority over
the classification of goods, the fixing of
through rates, and will appoint special
committees on certain classes of goods, such
as cotton and tobacco or any through
freight which is carried over long routes and
a number OF lines. In case of a failure of
the joint committee to agree on any ques-
blOu OuO appeal SQdu De maze TO UQ0 6X0Cu-
tive committee, thus placing the connecting
lines to whom cutting is usually traced en-
tirely at the mercy of the trunk lines.
The contract was drawn up by Commits
sioner Fink, and frequent reference is made
all through it that it is to be observed in
spirit well as i'll letter, the primary OBJ
iect being to provide for uniform and regu-
lated rates on business passing over the
trunk lines and affiliated roads. Rebates
of any kind term contracts, special rates
agreements for given amounts of freight
and all subterfuges by which the spirit of
the union may be violated are forbidden,
and the transfer of cars, the use of through
bills of lading, or the making of through
rates with any road refusing to be
bound by the trunk line agreement
are also prohibited. The business to be
governed by this contract is, first, east
bound dead freight and live stock coming
from or from behind the western termini of
the trunk lines; second, west bound freight
from the seaboard cities to the western
termini of the trunk lines; third, COM
petitive passenger traffic of the first and
second-class and emigrant traffic. Each
party of this contract is to deposit stated
sum with the commissioner, from which
shall be deducted such fines as he may inn
pose for violations of the agreement when
proved and the method of detection and
conviction is fixed