St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-19
RAILWAY AFFAIRS.
Northwestern Traffic Situation and the
Result of Opening New Lines TO
st. Paul.
Wisconsin Central and the Buriing-
ton Both Ready to Enter the
Association.
The Washburn Route--Opposition to
the Duluth--Lake Routes as
Competitors
The Coming meetinr.

The Coming Meeting.
Special to the Globe.
CHICAGO, March 1S.-The process of re-
adjustment of railway affairs and their re-
lation To each other in the Western terri
tory will begin in the territory of the North
west. 1t will be forced to n certain extent
by the expiration of the contract governing
the roads. Members of the Northwestern
Traffic association see the necessity of either
renewing the agreement or deliberately
letting things drift into demOraliZa-
ton and chaos for a brief period
The impression has prevailed for some time
past that the chief obstacle in the way of a
renewal was the building of short lines be-
tween Chicago ana st. Paul, and the cOnse-
quent establishment of new conditions, and
ithas been asserted that the opening of these
lines would start up indiscriminate compe-
ution Tor trade that was already over
provided for in the way of transportation
facilities. This would be the natural view,
but 1t is not altogether the correct one. 1t
was supposed that when the Wisconsin
Central and the Burlington q Northern
were completed they would at once proceed
To demonstrate their power and ability by
starting
WAR OF RATES,
thus forcing concessions from the elder
roads. Indeed, it has been current talk
that the Wisconsin Central, so soon as it
opened its line to Chicago, would take this
method as the most etfectual means OF adj
veriising its new route, and would keep it
up until the public became thoroughly IA
miliariZed with its merits as Northwestern
road. A little investigation has proven the
falsity of the theory, and the exact
reverse Is the case. The managers
of the new road have given
the most positive assurances that as soon as
they were in position to operate the line
from Chicago to st. Paul, they would be
ready to open negotiations for membership
IN the association as party TO the govern
ing contract. The Burlington IL Northern
will do the same thing, so that the only
danger in that direction is the inevitable
squabbles and disputes that alwaes comes
with Encouragement of percentages. The
real trouble exists in the dsordered in
ternal
AFFAIRS OF THE ASSOCIATION,
as it now exists, and the strained relations
between the lines. For period of seven
or eight months in the year the lake routes
are active competitors with the railroads
for the st. Paul, Minneapolis and North
western through trade. Ii has been the
unwise and shOrt-sided policy of several of
the roads to ignore the competition in that
direction and belittle its effects until its
magnitude and growing importance forced
it upon their unwilling attention. They
have had an active and successful
rival i'm the st. Paul IL Duluth road. A year
or two years ago they could have taken it
into the pool and muzZled it successfully
by simply allowing it fair percentage, it
having submitted its terms. Obstinacy
and lack of foresight moved the association
roads to reject the proposition. Last sea-
son they were glad to make contract with
il, guaranteeing TO it a certain amount of
barrels of flour daily, merely upon its main
tanning the
ASSOCIATION RATES
and this guarantee represented more earn
ings than the road had originally asked for
in the way of percentages. The North
western had an outlet to Lake Superior
ovr what is known as the ''Washbum
route" and is direct competitor of the ST.
Paul 81 Duluth. One would have believed
that it would have been allowed
to have met its Duluth rival
on at least equal terms, but the contrary
was the case. 1t was denied the privilege
of meeting its competitors rates, was
hampered, bound and ANNOYED by absurd
protests and decisions of the association
until its traffic was almost destroyed, with
out the power to protect itself. This is
very sore point with the Northwestern. and
it will not submit to any more nonsense of
that kind. If the drift of business is to
be turned in that direction and the
LAKE SUPERIOR PORTS
are destined to wrest away the seaboard
trade from the railroads, the Northwestern
proposes TO share the benefits of the new
movement. If the other lines propose to
continue their policy they will do it by in
dividual efforts, and not with the power of
an association to back them. That is the
logical conclusion of their position, and it
is neither probable nor possible
that the association will be re-
formed until these concessions are made
to the Northwestern. As far as can be
learned the managers are all good tempered
and not at all anxious to throw open the
door to free competition without restraint
They fOreSee the inevitable consequence of
such action, and the prospect is in favor of
their getting together i'll q cOnciliatory
spirit, and by making the necessary sacri-
fees continue the association for a time.
The meeting will be held Wednesday next,
at which time the matter will be de-
termined.