Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-24
EASTERN ECHOES.
The TranscOntinental Traffic
Troubles.
BOLD, BAD BANDITS BAFFLED
Attempted Train Robbery in Texas
Our Relations With China.
General Items.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.

| Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
CHICAGO, September 23.-The indigna
ton expressed by the merchants and
manufacturers throughout the country at
the course pursued by the Transconti
Mental roads, in fixing new tariffs, has
caused the Interstate Commerce Com
mission to investigate the matter without
waiting for formal complaint to be made.
Commissioner Aldace f. Walker has
taken the matter in hand, and is now
collecting evidence on which to base a
decision. Walker, who has given the
question Of Transcontinental rates much
thought, wrote the decision in the we'll
known Denver case, which is taken by
the Southern and Central Pacifcs as a
pretext for making the present discrim-
inative rates. He has sent two mes
sages to Chairman Midgley Of
the Pacific Coast Association, ask
ing for the tariffs and circulars now in
effect, showing the rates, or rules for
making rates, from the Atlantic sea-
board to intermediate points on the
Transcontinental lines; from Buffalo,
Detroit, Chicago and the Mississippi
river; from the Pacific Coast to Colorado,
Kansas and Nebraska, and any other in
formation necessary to give him COM
plete understanding of the situation.
Midgely has complied with the request
to the extent of making statement of
the matter from his standpoint. He in
formed Commissioner Walker that
fha of thu Trorcoa,,t,-
mental Association were in session
at San Francisco when his
(Mr. Walker's) opinion was received in
the Denver case, whereupon they ad-
journed to meet in st. Paul, the under
standing being that within sixty days
they must get their tariffs to conform to
the opinions expressed in the Denver de-
cision. They understood that the dis.
PARTIES in classification on intermediate
and Pacific coast business were to be re-
moved and that the tariff rates between
Eastern points and the Pacific coast
should establish the maximum to be
charged for intermediate hauls. The
Southern Pacific, which, from its COM
manding position on the Pacific coast,
largely determines the course to be pur-
sued by the Transcontinental lines, an
nounced at the st. Paul meeting that it
decided to conform to the views outlined
in the Denver decision. Then the tariff
between Omaha and Kansas City and
San Francisco being $3.50 first class,
that is the maximum to be charged for a
like shipment from any point west of the
on any one of the direct lines to
San Francisco. In like manner rates
we're made between Mississippi River
points, Chicago, Pittsburg, Buffalo, etc.
But in regard to competitive traffic be-
tween New York and Pacific coast
a different position was
taken. These rates were established with
the idea of competing with the Clipper
ships for business between the Atlantic
sea- board and the Pacific Coast.
The rates were made low. but did not
establish the maxima to be charged on
like commodities from the Atlantic to
points on the Transcontinental lines east
of the Pacific Coast, which was con-
sidered to be in conformity with the
opinions expressed in the Louisville and
Nashville decision of the Commission.
For further information Mr.. Midgley re-
ferred Commissioner Walker to the Of
ticers OF the Transcontinental Association.