The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-04
THE WORLD ON WHEELS.
The Alton Refuses to Obey Finley's
Order to Advance Rates to
Their Normal Point. y
How the Boycott Has Given tho
Ticket Brokers a New Lease
Of Life.
Another Route From Helena to White
Sulphur-LOsses on the Burlington
General Railway News.

Nav II another phase of the Alton boy
colt will come to q crisis, unless the matter
is settled before that time. and from the
present outlook it will not be- settled and
the chances are the Western Passenger as
ISOLATION will go to pieces at that time.
Chairman Finley has ordered passenger
rates from Kansas City to st. Louis ad-
yanced to $3.50 from $3.50, to which figure
they we're reduced to meet competition by
soalpers on the Missouri Pacific. He has
also ordered the rate from ST. Louis to
Chicago advanced from $3.50 to $3.50 and
from East st. Louis to Chicago from $5.25
to 81. %, these rates having been reduced
some time ago to meet the Jacksonville
Southeastern manipulation. The date fixed
for these advances is May II. The Chicago
d Alton a few days ago refused to consent
to the advance, although the causes requir-
ing the reduction had been overcome. The
Alton claimed that, owing to the boycott,
u might find it necessary to make
sweeping reductions in its tariffs in
order to protect itself, n that 1T
is inadvisable to advance a rate
although the advance is only to normal
fgares-when circumstances might force a
l1 tAo - AAo
Alton claims that it require unanimous
consent to advance the rates. and If Char
man Finley persists in carrying out his Or
der it Will withdraw the from the Western
Passenger association. This could not acs
otherwise than to break up the ASSOCIATION.
Once out of the Western Passenger associa-
ton the Alton will be amenable to no agree
ment or authority, but can cut or scalp at
will. At present the Alton is doing every
hing in its power to protect tariff rates at
Chicago. at st. Louis and Kansas City, al
though it is obliged to take severe measures
to protect itself from the boycott in the
east. The Alton defines TO arbitrate the
question whether Chairman Finley's order
to advance rates to tariff shall be carried
out or not and has asSuMed a very indie
pendent position.
To-day the Jacksonville u Southeastern
will withdraw from the association, and an
almost Simultaneous decentralization of
passenger rates between st. Louis and Chi
cago is expected.
Whatever else the eastern roads may have
accomplished and may hope to accomplish
in their fight for the abolition of commits
sions on passenger business. they have at
least succeeded in giving the ticket brokers
a new lease of life. Before the boycott was
uGCldIeu Vie oUslOoh III pue oStlpClS q
gloomy enough. If there is anything the
roads deplore it is the existence of these
parasites. Yet, by their fight with the AL
ton, they have thrown open the doots for
the readmission of this evil, for they have
forced the Alton to establish agents every
where, and the most available agents they
could find at ali the great centers were the
ticket brokers, who, of course, have no diff
Guilty in ticketing passengers over such we'll
known routes as the Chicago u Alton. With
the brokers stocked with Alton tickets, thus
receiving liberal commissions for securing
business for that road, it will be impossible
to take the supplies OF tickets of other roads
out of their hands, and the resulting de-
morallzation cannot fail to be serious.
Chairman Finley OF the Western Pas
senger association has addressed q mmu-
nication to General Passenger Alton Charl-
ton of the Alton, declaring that the latter
cannot vote to reduce rates to points with
in the Central Traffic association without
also voting for an interchange of %oertif-
oates. According to his ruling a vote to
grant the rate carries with it an agreement
to interchange certificates. If these rul-
ings are sustained the Alton will refuse to
agree to reduce rates to any points in the
territory of the lines that are boycotting
it. A very careful investigation has been
made by officials of the Atchison road to
ascertain whether they would be justified
IN demanding authority to reduce the pas
sengsr rates from Chicago to Kansas City
on account of the alleged stocking of the
markets with cheap orders issued by the
eastern agents of the Alton. They did not
fin that the market was disturbed, and 30
made no demand.