New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-16
RAILROAD INTERESTS.
COMPLAINTS OF EAST BOUND CUTS.
THE DIFFICULTY OF SECURING LAcKAwANNAe
COOPERATION WITH THE OTHER

IhUNh LINES.
Complaints are heard in railroad circles that tho
eastbound freight tariff is not being strictly main
tanned. No formal charges have been sent to the
Interstate Commerce Commission by those roads which
sensitive to the alleged cutting but private re-
monstrances believed to have gone to the interests
which might, by the exercise Of authority, put an end
to the Irregularities The roads that have occasioned
tho complaints the vandalia Line and the Wabash,
and 1t is charged that the former has been cutting
cotton rates from St Louis east and the latter has
been devlang from the schedules several kinds Of
freight The eastbound rate situation, in fact. is
not looked upon by railway men with tho same salts
faction that IL appears to give to the INVESTOR
1t would seem that some general agreement to
report evidence to the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion of violations Of the Federal law was needed to
free the trunk lines from the fear OF reproach In
telling taless There Is considerable dlnculty In
securing exact evidence of the guilt Of road in
cutting rates. and in many cases the evidence
be obtained only when It is understood TO be con-
6dential In other cases the road which Is the victim
of methods by which a competitor secures what is
considered fits undue share of traffic may be restrained
from official complaint by the feeling that IL may
some day desire similar exercise Of charity for its
mlsdeeds. Railroad men say that radical remedy
would DO an agreement among all the lines TOT
systematic reporting OF cases OF alleged or suspected
violations Of public rate tariffs to the Federal Com
td obligations TO informers and enable 1t to act
promptly in case an investigation among the roads
showed that ground for complaint existed and could
not be amicably removed
To secure such an agreement, however, 1t rs argued
that the roads must associate themselves together
The principal friction developed recently among tho
trunk lines and their Western connections has been
due to the inability TO obtain the cooperation of
several so-caled outSdeS lines IN contracts fully In
accord with the Interstate Commerce law notorious
instance Ct independent action is that Of the Lacka
wanna Road respecting Immigrant traffic Practical
railroad say that the ordering OF an advance
in viii not their stability, when ono road
remains outside OF an association Of half a dozen
companies and is more than suspected OF practices
which tend TO tempt general collapse or demorallEa
ton OF rates. Suppose said prominent passenger
yesterday, that the Lackawanna announces that
II will advance passenger rates; that IN month or
two It IS found that all or nearly all the uafhe is
going over that road. without association that
can bring together for consultation and CO.
operation what IS left 10 tho other lines except
effort to get back business by similar secret methods
or an open redictionis
The Lackawanna persists in lightering live stock
in New-York Harbor without charge 10 shippers,
although this IS contrary to tho regulations OF the
other trunk lines Charges OF violation OF agree
mcnts have been made against the Lackawanna and
have been replied TO by counterchargs, but President
Sloan has not attended any Of tie various meetings
called by the other trunk lines In the hope Of reach
ing an agreement or arriving a. method OF MpIus
ton The attendance OF President Sloan at the bank
ingralroad conference last Thursday surprised many
railroad people His attendance the attendance
of fully credited representative al trunk line con
ference would certainly surprise most Of the trunk
line people. 4 Il also pleased the bankers, who
are seeking 20 obtain cooperative agreement among
the railroads OF the country for the sake OF securing
10 Stockholders.