The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-02-08
THE WAR OF RATES.
Railroads of the Northwest and Southwes 81
in q Had WAY.

III a Ddu hhys
CHICAGO, February The war in freight
rates instituted by the Chicsgo, Milwaukee
and st. Paul railroad is the one topic dis.
cussed in rail way circles, and agents are won
deTiDg what will come next. As First As
sisisnt General Freight Agent Knapp, of the
Northwestern, puts it: The BUSH
ness is demoralized at present and l dou't
see how it can be made worse" AS these
dispatches indicated last night, the ST. Paul
made a cut of , centsl on all classes. of
freight TO Missouri river points. Today
the same road announces further cut OF
bali cent on irst-class aud cents on $50.
ond class to Missouri river points. This
further cut was promptly met by the
Southwestern Association and the Chicago
and Northwestern met IL as far as Counsel
Bluffs and Oman a are concerned. The lat
ter road also me the 10 cent cut of the St.
Paul 10 St. Paul and Minneapolis. The
Northwestern people declare they are in
the fight to stay. AS yet no steps have
been taken to stop the rate cutting. Chair
man Midgley, of the South western Asso.
citation, Gays no meeting of agents has been
called yet to consider ne situation. Fol.
lowing is the schedr now being quoted
to Missouri river Or its: Class l, 81 x; 2,
80; 3, "a; 4. 10; "A; A, 171&; B, 16; G,
10; ID, 10; +, 10.
There ID little doubt that the present
freight war will be long and desperate
one" said Chairman Midgely, of the South
western Railroad Association, to-day, ''No
propositions of a settlement have been
made, nor would it be of any use TO make
any at the present time. There is no tell
ing where this fight will end. A fight OF
this character is now an entirely different
matter from what it was few years ago.
The railroad extensions in the West and
Southwest have been so great that q fight
like the one now In progress will be far
reaching in its effects. Owing to the rela-
tive geographical situation of st. Paul.
Omaha and Kansas City, and the opera
tons OF the Interstate Commerce law,
this fight will demoraliZe rates and must
involve the entire Northwest as well as the
West and Southwest. Further cuts are
liable to be made at any minute. 1 have
received dispatches from far Southwestern
points meeting the rate, with the usual
diffeTentials, from points connecting with
Omaha, Kansas City and st. Louis"
KANSAS CITY, February 4-The railroad
freight rates from this point are so badly
demoraIized that it is difficult to make
definite statements of the actual cuts made
to day. Tie following facts will be pub
lished in to-morrow's Times: THE Fort
Scott & Gulf reduced the rate on packing
house products from Kansas City to
Memphis 2 cents; fresh meat to Mem phis
when destined for points east the Mobile
d Ohio) s 3 cents; sugar from New Orleans
to Kansas City 6 cents, bananas IA cents.
oranges II cents, cocoanuts IL cents. The
Missouri Pacific makes q general cut on the
first five classes from st. Louis to Kansas
City of cents and on cotton piece goods,
st. Louis 10 Kansas 16 cents. All the lines
running between Kansas City and Chicago
announced further reduction of cent on
the third, fourth and fifth classes and on
class A of q cents The Alton announces
cut on coarse grain to Chicago and st.
Louis o. 5 cents and on cattle to the same
points of $12 so. The Missouri Pacific has
asked The agents of local lines to call
meeting to fix rate on packing house pro-
ducts"
ST.. LOUIS, February 5.-The Chicago and
Alton announces a further cut of two cents
on the first five classes Of freight between
here and Kansas City. The Missouri Pa
c.fic will meet any cut that may be made
by other lines. The slaughter of prices is
causing great deal Of comment here, and
the opinion is expressed that the democrat
ration will extend to all the Southwestern
lines.
Dies MONIES, Ia, February 4 about
fifty railroad employees, representing near
ly all the railroads in Iowa, were before
the Senate Railway Committee last night
until o'clock, giving testimony against
the two cent fare bill and the lowering OF
freight rates. The gist OF their argument
was that either would operate against the
employees rather than the stockholders.
Letters from responsible men residing on
the Rock Island and the Burlington roads
were received, saying that employees were
made to sign the remonstrance under COM
pulsion. Rev. Ida @. Hutton opened the
Senate with prayer this afternoon, which
is believed to be the first instance in tue
history of the country of such Office being
performed by a woman.