Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-06-25
RAILROAD PASSENGER AGENTS.
Meeting in San Francisco to Prevent
Rate-Cnttinf. on this Coast.
Is. +. Bulletin, June 24th.J

Is. F. Bulletin, June 9th.
A meeting of railroad passenger agents
: was held to-day at the Palace Hotel. The
! object was to prevent rate-cutting, some
thing which has not been accomplished by
any one of the several expedients previously
| adopted. Several times the Pacific Coast
passenger agents have assembled as an
association. Several times it has been
soberly resolved that from those respective
dates no one should cut rates, but the cnt-
ting has continued Just the same. Penalties
have been inflicted and paid, but to no
! purpose. The Pacific Coast Passenger
Agents Association went to pieces, despite
threats and penalties. Recently, although
/ ii has been announced that the doing away
of commissions had prevented cutting on
overland rates, 1t has been known that rates
were cut. Even this forenoon, while the
| passenger agents were in consultation, a
cut of So on the overland rate was reported.
| Every overland railroad line which has a
| ticket Office in this city was reported to
! have been represented at the meeting
which assembled in Parlor 4 this forenoon,
| including the Atlantic and Pacific line.
| The Southern Pacific Company was repre-
sented by J. c. Stubbs, General Traffic
Manager, and by Robert A. Donaldson,
Assistant General Passenger and Ticket
Agent. 1t was proposed, said one of the
railroad men present, though not in ex-
! press terms, perhaps, to form an associa-
ton of agents, which should include agents
in San Francisco, of the Southern Pacific
system, and the Atlantic and Pacific lines,
which is something new. The Transconti-
mental Association went to pieces long ago,
and Mr.. Cannon is settling up its affairs.
The Pacific Coast Association also termi
mated. While there is a general under
standing about the rate overland, there is
no binding agreement such as ought, in
specific terms, to exist. There is no over
| land war at this time The established
rate is what is printed in the rate sheet
| there may be n change at any time. We
are enjoying truce-not a permanent and
definite settlement. The Southern Pacific
and the Atlantic Pacific can advance rates
in twenty-four hours, if they wish. We
are now irving to arrive at an understand
| ing which shall bind every line represented
here to something. So we all assembled
to-day-tne transcontinental lines, the
Iowa lines and the lines east OF Chicago
Several agents said confidently this noon
that it was improbable that there could be
any association formed which would hold
| together any better than have those which
have preceded, the reason being that there
are conflicting interests. 1t is pleasant to
|
which would receive little patronage at
| other seasons under an arbitrary rate.
There is also an abiding fear among agents
of combinations between certain lines TO
| the detriment of others. The agents who
thought that there could be no association
were as confidently opposed in their views
| by other agents, who asserted that there
was little doubt that such an association is
| a ceriaintv According to several agreeing
| accounts the agents accomplished nothing
definite this forenoon. No secretary was
appointed to take notes of the discussion.
| Mr.. Stubs presided. The session lasted
continuously from 10 a. NJ. to , this after
noon, and during that period the railroad
men all over the city were much interested
to learn what was happening behind the
| closed doors. When the counseling agents
at about o'clock took a recess for lunch,
| they were not inclined to tell much that
| had occurred. 1t was learned however,
that the somewhat informal and OCCASION
ally animated discussion of the forenoon
had resulted in the appointment of COM
mittee of three, to whom was intrusted the
preparation of resolutions, to be used as a
basis for the proposed organization. The
| meeting followed so close after the return
of the representatives of uanscontinental
| lines from the meeting OF the Arbitration
Committee in Chicago, that supposition
was abroad that the decision at Chicago
and the meeting to-day had some connec-
| ton. 1t was, however, denied by attend
ants that the decision alluded to, or any
part of the proceedings at Chicago, was in
troduced This afternoon the passenger
agents resumed their endeavor to form a
passenger association capable of holding to-
| gether on the issue of maintaining rates and
never cutting them.