St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-30
A RATE WAR BEGINS,
Precipitated by the Burling.
tons Chicago and st.
Louis Cut.
The Milwaukee and Omaha
Lines Promptly Meet
the Rate,
And Say They Stand Ready
to Protect Their Own
Business.
The Decentralization Extends
to Kansas City, and No
End Yet.

The gates have been thrown wide
open. and railroad passenger rate war
is sure to follow. The Burlington made
its expected move and the cut in Chi.
cagO and st. Louis rates announced on
Saturday night. but really made public
yesterday morning. has precipitated
the trouble. The BurIington's cut is 81
Oil each first and second class fare to
Chicago, bringing them from slI and 50,
respt ctively, to 50 and 81, and the ST,
Paul and Minneapolis rate to Chicago
from S15.S5 to s13. There was great
commotiOn in local railroad circles yes
terdaY, and no little disgust. The inter
state commerce rule requires notice OF
three days, and it was claimed
by the representatives of competing
lines that the Burlington had tried te
take advantage of them by making its
announcement on saturday night, and
thus getting in Sunday as an extra day,
The competing lines that will not meet
the cut have not been found. and while
the dissolution of the Western States
Passenger association predicted trouble
IN rates, the decentralization now Ger.
tain was not anticipated.
The Omaha road promptly followed
the BurliugtOn7S cut. Notices were
yesterday posted that on Jan. l is
would Sell Chicago tickets at the rate
announced by the Burlington. Assist
ant General Passenger Agent McCuI-
lough said last night that he was not
willing TO say to what lengths his COM
pany would 60, bat it would certainly
protect its passenger traffic to the end.
1t is expected tnat the Kansas City
and Wisconsin Central will soon follow
suit, and be ready for any emergency.
w. IL. Dixon. assistant general pas
senger agent of the Chicago, Milwaukee
q st. Paul railway. being questioned by
the reporter as TO what action his COM
pany intended to take relative to meet
ing the reduced rates, replied as fol.
lows:
.As soon as we learn officially that
such rates will be made, we shall at
once proceed>to meet them on both first
and seeond-claSS fares between MinIe-
apolis, st. Paul and Chicago and inter
mediate points on continuous trainDass-
aye tickets. We shall also meet the cut
on rates to st. Louis, via routes other
than through Chicago. In consequence
of the fact that st. Paul, Minneapolis.
Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Omaha
and Kansas City are the gate
ways through which passes bus
iness between Chicago and common
points in the far West, we shall, in or
der to comply with the non-discrilnina-
tive in favor of locality provision of the
interstate commerce law. make a cor
responding reduction in passenger fares
between points above named and Chi
cago, simultaneously with the meeting
of cut rates made by the Chicago, Bur-
lington & Northern railway between st.
Paul and Minneapolis and Chicago. In
fact. we propose to protect our interests
over our own counters wherever and
whenever we find them affe eted."
1t is generally believed thrt the Bur.
lington cut is but the beginning of the
trouble. and that an old-line rate war is
in prospect. You may ride to Chicago
for 81 vet" said passenger agent, land
perhaps get Il sleeper thrown in.n