St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-01
THE ST. PAUL'S ATTITUDE.
Why 1t Terminates the Missouri VAL
ley Passenger Agreement.
The Road Ready TO Fight Competitors
on Tariff Rates.
The st. Paul withdraws.

Special to the Globe
MILWAUKEE, Wis, Jan. 31.-As the
connection of the Chicago. Milwaukee &
St Paul road with the Missouri Valley
passenger agreement terminates tomorrow
and interested roads are on the bramble
bush of expectancy as TO the future action
OF that road. conversation which the
GLOBE correspondent had with Assistant
General Manager Tucker of the st. Paul
may be of considerable interest. Mr..
Tucker prefaced his remarks by a reference
to the assertions that the St. Paul's action
was dictated by Wall street, which he
claimed as unjust, as they were incorrect.
I'VE wished TO include the Northwestern
business from the beginning" said he. 1T
Is no sudden freak. our withdrawal We en-
deavored by every means in our power TO
have an agreement arrived ct which should
include Northwestern business, and it was
not until we found this could not be done
that we withdrew. 1t was simply impossibl o
for us TO remain as we were. While we were
tied up by this agreement, as regarded
sOUTHv EsTERN BUSINESS,
we were beng cut to pieces in the matter of
Northwestern business and left without any
means of retaliation. Now we are foot loose
and can do as we please. 1t is mistake to
suppose, however, that our withdrawal is for
the purpose of starting war on rates. On
the contrary we have Withdrawn in order 10
be able TO maintain rates We believe I'm
the broad-guage rule that everything that
tends to maintain in one section
inures to the benefit indirectly OF lines in
every other section. Now, in regard TO this
rate cutting, some time ago we learned that
Eastern tickets could be bought over our line
from st. Paul cheaper at outside offices than
they could over our own counters. The ST.
Paul passenger agent at St. Paul was in
structed TO notify other Offices that after a
certain date full tariff rates would obtain
and be kept up unless IL was found that tick
cts were sold cheaper elsewhere. in which
case our rate would be made to conform. In
other words we did not propose to have
patrons of the St. Paul
UNABLE TO PURCHASE TICKETS
over our own counters as cheap as they
could at outside offices. The result of this
notification was that outside offices were dis
continued, and regular rates have since been
maintained. We could not serve the same
notice in Chicago because we were tied down
by this agreement Now that we are foot
loose and able to act as our best interests
may dictate, we shall, as our first move
notify other offices that full tariff rates will
be charged hereafter on all passenger
business. So long as other roaus
maintain rates the st. Paul will do the
same. If, however, there is an abandonment
on the part of other lines of tariff rates. we
shall meet any cut that is made, but no more.
No. don't think everything is going TO smash,
nor will there be any rate war. / believe
rates will be maintained, and believe they
can be maintained just as well without any
agreement as they can with one. think the
other roads understand our position. and
don't imagine they feel any fear from an &C
tion in Withdrawing from this agreement.