The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-08-08
Composition and Good Faith.


The Rail.cay Age, of July Goth, un-
der the above heading, among other
things says: "The Illinois Central
Railroad Company has always enjoyed
a high reputs ton as peace loving,
rate maintaining and faith Observing
management. While other Western
roads have been embroiltd in bitter
fights this com pany has kept the even
tenor of it, way. At recent meeting
of the managers of the great Western
reads the proposition offered by the
president of one Of the chief lines,
looking to general agreement on the
basis Of the pooling Of money earnings,
met its only open opposition from the
general manager of the Illir oils Gen.
trail, Mr.. E. T. Jehery. From this the
impress si5n has gone out that the Hi
nois Central was dive;girg from its
previous record, and that it was not
disposed TO cooperate with the other
roads in their forts to r6s'ore peace
This, however, we believe to be mis-
understanding. The propo itIon made
by Mr.. Gable, which appeared to be
for grand pool Of all the
lines covering q vast territory, and
complicated bus ness seems to have
been presented without previous no.
tee, and evidently struck Mr.. Jeffery
80 too general end not sufficiently
binding in it's nature 10 prove practi-
cal. In recording his objection to this
propt sed plan Mr. Jeffery based it on
the conviction that the great necessity
in this and all sg eemenis of railway
companies was fret good faith and
honest intention of carrying them out,
and he appears to have laid down in
an off hand way some excellent senti-
ments in regard to the keeping OF
promis' s, and the results of failure to
keep them in the past. The illinois
Central certainly has not shown itself
rata destroyer. Although forming
part of new rau'e TO st. Paul, which
happens to bs considerably longer
than the two original lines between
Chicago and that place, it is credited
with strictly maintaining rates, and it
has not even demanded differential,
or objected to the running OF fist trains
by the short lines. We sre aware
that this question of 6ifsrentisls and
fast t,ains, as between competing lines
where one CT more of the lines have
the disadvantage of great.r distance
than the others, is very delicate and
difficult ole. and wa do not undertake
to discuss it here. But the fact that
the Illinois Central waived any claim
which it might have put in on that
grouLd, and when it could not get
business at the agreed rate let business
60, suggests thar il cannot justly be
charged wi h beinQ rate dieturbsr, IS
an Eastern railway paper has init
mated.
I'm speaking gu for cd fosbioned
honesty aud for the practice OF jus ice
and equity among Tfilwey managers,
even in the ferGest ri G es Tor busl-
res which railway competition pro-
vokf S, Mr.. JEFFREY sh0wed the courage
Of conviction, AID SIC aIe sure thst his
sen tins nts we're echoe by the emil
nent managers present"
The position taken by Mr.. jeffrey
was certa My manly and straight
forward, aud it would be well
for the bushes So Interests Of the coun-
try, IS we'll IS ilroads t emseives, if
there were mere neral man ayers OF
lis caliber. The Illinois Genital man
ggement has long ben considered OF
the most cons ervstiye in the West,
and it is losing none of its PRESTIGE
under its preset able gereal man
ager.