St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-01
TRANSPORTATION TOPICS.
Freight Rates to Chicago Being Slightly
Shaded.
The Burlington 81 Northern Suit
Against the illinois Central.
Annual Meeting OF the Union Pacific
Directors.
The Agreement Concerning Freight
Rates.


This was the question asked yesterday by
great many in regard to freights between
st. Paul and Chicago. The agreement en-
tered into on Thursday, the substance of
which was not to disturb the present rates,
but to let everything remain as it then was,
was to hold steady and without change in
good faith till Tuesday next. 1t was whis-
pered yesterday that even then was this
verbal agreement broken, and some gentle
men asserted openly that it twas busted"
This last declaration does not seem to
be sustained by the facts. There
IS some reason for believing that
some articles are carried at cut rates. AS
for instance, agricultural implements are
subjected to a rate of 2215 cents per 100
pounds, and yesterday it was asserted that
they were being billed through at 1919
cents. Several of the freight agents of the
different roads interested were seen yester-
day afternoon and all denied that there was
any cutting of rates. When, however,
their attention was called to the fact that
there was a cut on agricultural implements,
they admitted that such was the fact, and
stated that there has always been trouble
about that class Of goods, but that they did
not know there was such a heavy
cut as that. Shippers, some of them at
least, hesitate to make contracts now with
rates in this suspended condition, and
others will not make contracts except such
as are absolutely necessary. All wait be-
cause they are uncertain and fear that rates
will go lower after Tuesday next. The
Chicago Tribune of yesterday morning says:
In spite of the emphatic denials of the re-
ports that freight rates from st. Paul and
Northwestern points are being seriously cut
the Tribune Can state upon the best of in
formation that at least one of the roads has
for the last two or three days been cutting
rates nearly one-half. The road in question
is making the following minimum rates be-
tween Chicago and st. Paul to certain large
shippers: First class, 80 cents per loo pounds;
second-class, 25 cents; third-class, Is cents;
fourth and fifth classes, l21& cents; classes
A, Il and G, 10 cents. The regular tariff
rates are as follows: First-class, go cents;
second-class, As cents; third-class. 80 cents;
fOurth-class, 22% cents; fifth-class, 17%
cents; class A. ga cents; class b, 20 cents;
class e, IN cents, and class D. 10 cents.
This shows that the cut is very serious one
and does not augur well for the future main
tenance of rates. Nothing had been learned
from the meeting of the general freight
agents of the various roads interested in the
N orthwestern traffic at st. Paul yesterday up
10 late hour in the evening, but it is fair to
presume that under the existing circum-
stances no agreement can be made for the
maintenance of rates during this summer.
If there had been any hope of satisfactory
agreement no such reduction would have
been made By any of the lines on the eve of
the st. Paul meeting. 1t is the general
opinion that a serious war on Northwestern
freight rates cannot be avoided.