Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-02
THE RAILROADS.
No Present Prospect of a
Rate War.
COMPROMISE EFFECTED.
Possibility of a Reduction Next Fall
Present Condition Of Busi-
ness-An Excursion.

fn t16 l1hhALO OA 1OSsoAN~y
ing, of the Southern Pacific's de-
eision not to withdraw from the
Trancontinental Association, formed a
general topic Of conversation in railroad
circles yesterday. The time limit set by
the Southern Pacific for trial of the new
arrangement is ninety days. Existing
rates and freight arrangements cannot,
therefore, be changed except by action
of the association until the 1st of Novem-
ber.
This effectually postpones for a conaid-
erable time any likelihood of rate war.
Even should the Southern Pacific at the
end of the agreed time feel discontented
with the arrangements upon which it
returned to the association, and should
again withdraw, it cannot be affirmed
that q war between it and the other roads
would follow as matter of course. The
quarrel which this road has with the
Canadian Pacific is due to the hampering
conditions which the Interstate Com
merce law places upon all the roads in
the United States which run to this Coast.
III at the end of the time of trial the
Southern Pacific should see fit to with
draw, it would have very little to gain by
n war with the Canadian Pacific. 1t
would be fight in which the American
roads would be badly handicapped by
the Interstate law, and the Canadian free
10 act as it saw fit.
As people are prone to believe that
which they wish to be true it is quite nat
ural that the merchants and others OF
this Coast should certainly cherish the
belief that the days of 'S6 will be re-
newed and hordes of people be induced
10 come to the Coast by the cheapness OF
rates. It is questioned by some of the
best railroad authorities whether lively
rate war is ever likely to come to pass
under the existing conditions, when the
Canadian Pacific has a good deal to gain
and very little to lose by the conflict.
The last rate war took place before. the
Interstate Commerce Bill became law.
The situation is now essentially different
from what is was then.
It appears that the most which the
people Of the Coast have to hope for at
the present time is an ultimate reduction
of rates by the Iranscontinental Associ-
alton to something like the figures which
prevailed at the time when the associa-
tion was formed. Many of the railroad
officials who understand the situation
admit that reduction of the round-trip
rate to $50 for frst-class passengers
would have the effect of supplying the
companies with enough more carrying
business to make up for the loss on each
fare. A reduction in the freight tariff
would have similar tendency. Such
change in rates may be attempted next
fall, although as yet no definite action
has been taken by any of the roads.
None of the transcontinental roads are
doing very heavy business now either in
freight or passenger traffic. The local
divisions of the various lines are doing
good deal of earring of summer excur-
sionists between this city and the sea
shore or the mountains. During the past
month there has been a considerable in
crease in the number of trains running
to Santa Monica and other points on the
coast. The same activity will probably
continue through most of the month of
August.
The excursion people say that the in
dications for travel next fall from the East
are very promising. Everything points
to q much larger influx of visitors than
the section received last year.
The contract for new road, the Los
Angeles, Pasadena and Glendale, was
let on the 27th of last month and the
work began yesterday. The contract
requires that the road shall be turned
over TO the operating department in
ninety days, SO that it may be expected
that new route to Pasadena will be in
operation before Christmas. The road
is seven miles long and runs along the
Arroyo Seco through Garvanza. 1t will
connect with the Southern Pacific.
Speculation continues on the future of
the Salt Lake and Los Angeles road +,
but no new facts of importance
have been developed. 1t has been sug-
gested that the Council should take some
action toward the revoking of the fran.
chise and right of way which was
granted to Marble, Scott & Co. last
winter. There is, however, very little to
be expected from any such attempt, as
the conditions under which the franchise
was granted will allow the holders to
keep possession for an indefinite period
of time. 1t is said that the large guam
tity of ties which are now lying at San
Pedro and owned by the Southern Pa
cific-enough to build 250 miles of track
are placed there to be ready for imme-
diate use by the Southern Pacific in case
the Utah road should begin to build, to
cover the same terminal points.
A Walters & Co.'S excursion, under the
supervision of Conductor John Law
renee, arrived in Los Angeles Wednes-
day evening. Following are the names !:
San Francisco-Mrs. Alice Burritt,
Carbondale, N. Y; F. V. Metsch, Ho-
boken, N. Y; Mrs. N. Baldwin, James
town, Pa; A. s. Lackey, J. B. Linoe.
hook, M. E. Traume, Mrs. Arend, Miss
G. Arend, Misses H. and Ellen Janson,
Misses Ella and Lizzie Janson, Robert
Janson, Mrs. T. Janson, Miss Sophia
Lindall, New York; F. Borsen, G. E. B.
Armstrong, Chicago; Thos. Mccarthy,
Misses Annie Mcleod and Alice Harvey,
Boston; w. A. Pierce and wife, Roches.
ter; Alex. Larson, Miss X. Lamsby, New
York; Daniel Whitney, Worcester, Mass.
F. P. Allen and wife, Miss Allen, Eagle
Bridge, Mass. Miss E. @. Smith, Green
field, Mass. Mrs. M. E. Brown, ]. NJ.
Cate, Thomas Todd, A. N. Mansur and
wife, Boston; G. M. Dupont, Kansas
City.
Los Angeles. P. Brockmier. Omaha
Thomas Anderton, Miss Jennie Eichel
berger, Miss Lola Wickershsm m, Chicago
o. W. Martin and wife, Miss Alice De
Katz, Lawrenceburg, Ind.
San Diego-Mrs. M. A. Burgess, Miss
Burgess, Oswego, N. Y, A. W. Pray and
wife, Providence, r. l.
Redding, Cal.-Csptain VIM. Stafford,
Providence, r. l.
f.