The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-10-07
A RATE WAR.
The Pacific and D. & R. G.. Express
Co.'S Fight-HeaVy Cut to
Colorado.

There have been lively rumors at1oat
on the street for the past few days re-
garding a war between the Pacific Elk
press and the Denver & Rio Grande Ex-
press Companies. We chronicled some
time ago the fact of the two express
offices having separated, the D. & r. G.
having removed to the Opera House
building, and the Pacific running as of
old in the Deseret Bank building, This
was understood to have occurred owing
to the expiration of the pool entered
into, and the handing over of the Little
Giant to its owners by Receiver Ban
croft. The whacks the Denver &
Rio Grande have recently taken
at prevailing rates. however, eYince
that all is not peace and harmony be-
tween the two companies. Rumor had
it yesterday that the D. & r. G. were
carving express matter free between
here and Ogden, and that they had
made some heavy cuts in rates from
here eastward. A reporter iOf TIE
HERALD, to ascertain what truth there
was IN the reports, called at both offices
Yesterday, and first met Mr.. Frank
HYDE. agent of the Pacific Express.
Yes said that gentleman, n re-
Spouse to the reporters inquiry, 1.-The
d. g. K. G have made some heavy cuts,
or rather some promises of heavy cuts.
A number of merchants, our customers,
have come in lately. and said they were
told the D. & r. G. were doing so
and so-and asked whether we
did not intend to meet them.
Some have said the D. d r. g. were
carrying express matter for nothing,
out all such we have told to go to the
ID. & R. G. l suppose it springs from
their offering to snip from New York
to here foI SO so Fer hundred, where the
old rate was $40 so. $3.50 is Just what IL
costs the D. g. r. G. TO lay their matter
down in denver, so that they would
virtually bring it from there here for
nothing. However, l have told all such
that the D. & R. G. might promise to
make such a rate, but they could not
fulfill 1t. 1t was only yesterday that
shipper came in and said he had re-
received goods which he had ordered
by the D. d r. G.. but which had been
delivered to him by us. He asked our
price, ADD he was indignant, wanting to
know whether we would not conform
to the rate they had made. l told him
when We found the D. 81 r. G. delivering
matter at that rate, we would meet it.
But the fact is they can't fulfill their
promise.
How is that?"
"Wells, Fargo. & Co., who bring ex-
press matter from the east 20 Denver
and from the west to Ogden, only hand
over to the Pacific Company, so that
that explains how the shipper have
received goods through us
which he had ordered through the ID.
& r. G. They are perfectly aware of
this but continue TO make their offer
cutting rates, hoping to force the Pacific
into another pool arrangement
by unsettlIng affairs here and
getting shippers discontended. But
you see they are now limited TO carry
ing between Ogden and Denver, and
such small local cuts as they have made
we have met. The Pacific knows tca
well what a pool means, and wants
none of it.
Mr.. J. c. McCaddon, general agent OF
the Denver e. Rio Grande Express, said
to the reporter:
There is no truth in the report that
we are carrying for nothing anywhere.
We have made a cut of two-thIrGs to
Denver. Pueblo and Colorado Springs
from So per hundred to 81 hundred,
and have cut the $1,000 eastern rate to
$3.50"
us it true that Wells, Fargo & Co. do
not hand matter over TO YOU at Denver
and Ogden2'
Some packages NAV go astray, but
they hand over whatever is consigned
to our care, of course"
Not otherwise2''
mo"
"Then your relations with Wells,
Fargo & Co. are not so amicable as they
have been2"
"Notjus at present, believe"