Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-29
BEYOND THE ROCKIES.
The New TranscOntinental
Rates.
CHICAGO MERCHANTS INDIGNANT.
The Iowa Railroad Case-New York
Republican Convention.
Eastern Echoes.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD
CHICAGO. August 2S.-Not since the
Interstate Commerce act went into effect
has anything bsen done by the railroads
that caused so much excitement and ILL
feeling among the Chicago merchants as
the recent action of the transcontinental
lines il making the rates from Chicago
to the Pacific coast about twice as high
as the rates from New York. The
merchants of Chicago fail to COM
prehend why Chicago roads should
consent to become party to an arrange
ment that discriminates so outrageously
against Chicago's interest, and is calcu-
lated to prevent Chicago from competing
with the East for Pacific Coast traffic.
Even the trunk lines managers, who have
an advantage under the new tariff, have
emphatically refused to join in the new
through rates, On the ground that they
are contrary to the Interstate law, and
they could not afford to join in tariff that
makes rates from interior points in their
territory to the Pacific coast much higher
than rates from seaboard points. Most
energetic protests against the adoption
of the new tariff have been submitted to
the railroad managers by John V. Far
we'll & Co., Marshall, Field & Co., J. s.
Kirk & Co., and many other prominent
firms. Some of them declare that they
will refuse to ship any kind of freight by
the lines that accept the new California
tariff.
These threats are having the desired
effect, and many of the leading Western
roads declare that Mr.. Midgely has acted
without authority in approving the new
tariff. Three of the roads wired Mr..
Midgely and the Chairman of the Trans
evening that they repudiated the new
unless they were revised SO as to give
Chicago a fair show. A reply was
received from Chairman Leedy yester-
day, saying that the tariff had been re-
vised and that the rates on commodities
produced in Chicago would be made the
same as from New York. This COM
prises only about twenty-five articles,
while there are thirty pages of commo-
dities on the tariff from New York, on
which the rates are not more than one
half of the rates from Chicago. Among
these are dry goods, cotton, piece goods,
sugar, glucose and many other articles
which are shipped from Chicago. Con-
sequently the concession made by the
transcontinental roads has not bettered
the situation. The leading merchants
declare they will not stand discrimina-
ton and that they will not 60 before the
Interstate Commission with their griev-
ances, but will bring suit in the United
States Courts against any road that
charges discriminating and unlawful
rates.
The indications are that the roads be-
tween Chicago and the Missouri river
will repudiate the meetings. strong
action, and will initiate the example of
the trunk lines, and require from the
transcontinental roads full rates between
the Missouri and Spokane rivers
on the other articles. By wire from
New York, Mr.. Midgely has sent pri-
vate communication to the members of
the Pacific Coast Association, with an,
explanation of his action. According to,
Mr.. Midgely's explanation neither Mr..
Blanchard, nor any member of the COM
mittee, took decided grounds against
the discrimination of the Pacific
Coast. He advised that local rates be
charged between Chicago and st. Louis.
and that no bills of lading be given un-
less the transcontinental lines would
establish tariff in the way outlined by
the trunk lines. The Chicago people
have nothing to do with the personal
quarrel between the trunk and transcon-
tinental lines. They merely demand fair
and equitable treatment and the protec.
ton of their interestS