St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-07
A WAR INAUGURATED.
The Milwaukee a. st. Paul Creates a
Sensation by Cutting Rates.
Prospects OF the Northern Pacific Ex-
tending its Line TO Butte.
ST. Paul rnaugurate. n Rate War.

81. Paul Enaugurates n Rate War.
Special to the Globe.
CHICAGO, Feb. GA sensation was ere
ated in speculative circles in New York ard
n railroad circles at Chicago this morning
by cut in passenger rates by the st. Paul
road. AID official circular announced this
morning 81 rate TO St. Paul and to Coun-
ell Bluffs. This is a cut of So in the regu-
lar st. Paul rate. and $3.50 in the regular
Council Bluffs rate. The motive of the cut
is the refusal of the Rock Island to pool
Northwestern business in with Missouri
river business.
1--WE will not meet the st. Paul cut" said
General Passenger Agent ST. John of the
Rock Island road. 1.-The ST. Paul can have
the war all to itself. II seems to be INDUCING
| In rule-or-ruin policy just now. The pre-
tense that we were making 81 cut in St.
Paul rates is very shallow. We were not. We
were simply allowing So commission. which
was allowable. The Rock Island will not meet
| the cut at present"
1--WE are decidedly interested in this matter
| and will take prompt action" said Mr.. II. 8.
Hair, general passenger agent OF the North
western. There are but two courses for US
TO pursue. Either we must pull out of the
/ business Altogether. lose all the business we
have, or meet the cut. The latter of course
we shall do. The present action OF the St.
Paul people is about the only thing
left for them in view OF the
deceptive doings OF the Rock Island
/ 4 Pacific Railway company. The Missouri
river passenger agreement was signed by the
ST. Paul folks with the understanding that a
ST. Paul agreement should follow. After the
Rock Island obtained what IL desired. IL re-
/ fused TO sign the St Paul demand Thus IL
stood until a month observation-disclosures river
agreement expired and IL desired a renewal. 1t
was refused by the 81. Paul, unless their
/ agreement should be ratified at the same
| time. This was not acceded to and there the
| matter rested. The 81. Paul IS naturally sore
over the duPlicity of the Rock Island, and IL
is possible their feelings have gotten the
better of their Judgment in precipitaiing this
trouble. Yet il is apparently their only
mode OF procedure. The Northwestern has
been conservative throughout in the matter
and viii take no aggressive action. We will
protect our own interests, however.
At noon the Chicago & Northwestern
wheeled in and notified its agents TO meet the
cut. Agents beyond are also instructed 10
inform through passengers TO Council Bluffs
and St. Paul of the existing reduction of pas
senger rates and that they are entitled TO the
benefits Of the cuts from Chicago and ST.
Paul. General Passenger Agent HAIR said
this action was matter OF business. His
company proposed to protect its patrons and
give them the benefit OF any reduction that
any other line might make. They have taken
hand In the game with the Intention of
staying. The reduction of rates is quite a
Il
throughout the Northwest are fiocking to St
/ Paul's great ieeiearnival. and they VIII reap
the benefit OF the war. City Passenger Agent
Rhodes Of the Rock Island stated this after
noon that his road had not thus far sold any
cut-rate tickets. The st. Paul's charge that
they had been cutting rates secretly or other
wise was, he said, mistake.
WHAT THE ST. PAUL OFFICIALS SAY.
| Special 10 the Globe.
MILWAUKEE. Feb. 6.-Though the st.
Paul officials have all along denied any in
| tentiOn Of inaugurating a passenger rate
war. the indications at present point to a
condition Of things In the future, which if
not a rate war. will in feature resemble it
in all bur name. The cut in Council Bluffs
rate is justified by the St Paul officials on
the ground that they specifically announced
to the lines concerned that the rate to ST.
Paul would be the rate to Council Bluffs
the theory being advanced that both places
were equal so far as far west business was
concerned. The st. Paul folks
are loaded with affidavits in proof
Of their having purchased tickets over the
Rock Island counters 10 St. Paul at less
than the regular rates. and also to having
purchased tickets 10 Council Bluffs at less
than full tariff rates. The fight at present
\ is on secOnd-claSs business. but il is only q
matter of inclination when the bar will be
| let down and fiTst-elass business included i'm
the struggle that now bids fair to distance
the memorable fight on st. Paul business
several years ago. If the tone of the re-
marks made here are any criterion. the
warfare will be continued until the Rock
Island is willing to come into the agreement
/ on St Paul business. General Passenger
Agent Carpenter. in conversation with the
| GLOBE correspondent. briefly reviewed the
history of the different struggles up To the
] signing of the agreement on Missouri river
business. and then said
We signed that agreement with the under
standing that a similar agreement was 10 be
entered into with regard TO Northwestern
/ business. As time passed on we suggested
the subject, but were always put OF and
sometimes in not very friendly manner
Finding there was no intention on the part of
the Rock Island TO take any action toward le-
/ deeming their promise we withdrew. We
l afterwards notified, as has been announced.
that after Feb. full tariff rates would be
charged by the 81. Paul on all Northwestern
| business and that on any future action which
/ might be taken rates 10 ST. Paul and Council
/ Blufis would be Identical. The tickets which We
I have here were purchased over the Rock
! Island counters at 81 less than regular rates
As they were purchased from their own ticker
j agent the cut can hardly be disguised under
the name of commission. What our future
action viii be will depend somewhat on the
acton pursued by other roads. One thing is
certain. we are going TO protect our own in
terests TO the best of our ability.
meeting which was held at the general
Offices of the st. Paul road to-day. and
which was participated in by Mr.. Tucker
and Mr.. Carpenter of the St. Paul and
Mr.. Wicker of the Northwestern. gave
rise to rumor that some agreement be-
tween the two companies had been arrived
at. ST Paul officials this evening deny
that the meeting had any direct bearing ON
! the passenger trouble. but was called to
adjust q difficulty arising in relation to
baggage. In spite OF the denials, how
ever, there IN feeling that the rate war
was something more than incidentally
touched upon.