St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-28
STILL POOLING.
How the Railroads Beat the Inter-
State Law

How the Railroads Beat the Inter-
State Law.
CHICAGO. March 27.-The impression
has heretofore prevailed that since the
adoption of the interstate commerce law
all pooling between railroads has been
abandoned. 1t transpires, however,
that pooling is still being practiced by
the roads between Chicago and Omaha,
covering all the freight traffic between
these points. The arrangement was
made between the general managers of
the various roads Immediately after the
adoption of the interstate law and great
precautions were taken to prevent the
matter from leaking out. Under the
arrangement the chairman of the West
ern division of the Western Freight as
ISOLATION is authorized to even up ship
mentS by dlyerting freight from roads
that had secured more than their allot-
ted percentage of the business to roads
that had run behind. This division of
traffic has been made up to the present
time, and is still being made. But it is
probable that this pool will soon be
terminated, not because the railroads
engaged in 1t are afraid of the law, but
because discussions have arisen between
the lines in interest. But for this
quarrel, the fact that pooling is pri-
vately being carried on between the
Western roads would not have leaked
out yet. The discovery of the existence
of such pools explains the reason why
the following article was made part of
the Western presidents agreement:
1.-The executive board shall from time
to time, on application in writing of an
accredited representative OF any CON-
pany. the president of which is MEM
Der of the association, take such steps
after hearing all parties in interest as
may be proper, requisite and legal to
secure to each company its due share OF
the competitive traffic. At the time the
agreement was adopted attention was
drawn to this clause and the question
was asked, how under the interstate
law, the traffic could be divided to give
each road an allotted proportion. The
explanation was made by the railroad
officials that the clause was simply put
in for effect as some of the roads in
sisted upon it, but as traffic could not
be illegally" divided, the clause would
remain dead letter. 1t is now shown
that its object was to provide for arbi-
tration in case trouble should arise
between the roads parties to the exist
ing private pools. AS proof that the
pool is in existence, correspondence
between President Miller, of the Chicago
Milwaukee q ST. Paul railroad, and
Chairman Faithorn of the Western
freight association is printed. Presi-
dent Miller, in his letter, complains
that 1.-THE present arrangement" for the
division of freight has proved imprac-
ticable. and serves notice that the st.
Paul road will abandon it Old March "a.
He suggests that the question of new
arrangement be laid before the presi-
dents association. so that action may be
taken, if desired by all parties under
the article of their agreement quoted
above. President Miller says further
that 1--WE shall continue to divert dead
freight to make other lines good on the
excess we have carried up to the
24th,'' and expects Chairman Faithorn
to furnish a statement of how much is
due from the st. Paul road on that
account and to whom.