The record-union., 1891-05-08
RAILROAD WORLD.
TRAFFIC MANAGER LEEDS LOSES
HIS PLACE.
The Advisory Board OF the Western
Traffic Association Charges Him
With Rate-Cuttfng.
Special to the RECoRD-UN1oS.


New YORK, May 7.-Considerable dis
satisfaction was expressed by the MEM
bers of the Advisory Board of the West
ern Traffic Association, when they met
this morning for their second days ses-
sion, about the way matters are dragging
along.
Many of them want to leave the city to
attend to important business, and they
say nothing is being accomplished at the
meeting. They characterize the affair so
far as mere game, each waiting to see
the other make the first move.
Mr.. Leeds statement at yesterdays
ceed, was not what the members of the
Advisory Board wanted
1t did not touch upon the vital point of
cutting the sugar rate.
AT II o'clock a cable came from the
meeting saying Leeds had been stopped
in his statement, as he practically
admitted his guilt. The cable further
said there would be no trouble in the
organization, provided each road carried
out its agreement, that is, to discharge
every man found guilty of violating the
rules.
When asked if Leeds had been found
guilty, the cable replied no, because he ad-
mitted his guilt. This meant that Leeds
would go.
The board took recess at o'clock for
lunch.
After the recess Chairman Hughitt said
that the board had considered the Leeds
matter, and their finding was that the
Missouri-Pacific Railroad, through the
action of its freight traffic manager, had
violated the agreement substantially as
presented by the commissioners.
In the afternoon it was learned that
Traffic Manager Leeds, of the Missouri
Pacific, had been discharged, and that
he leaves for the West to-day.
Gould, when asked about the matter,
would say nothing more than that he had
discharged Leeds.
After an interview with Gould, Leeds
said he would start West Immediately,
and turn his office over to General Mana
ger Clark. He knew of no other provis-
sion made for him, and especially denied
any arrangement by which he should
become General Traffic Manager of the
Union Pacific. He did not admit the JUS
tice of the sentence. He said that he
issued the sugar tariff on his own respon-
sibility for reasons that seemed to him to
justify the course. He did not make the
tariff to get the sugar, and III fact did not
get it. The tariff is still in effect, and vet
more than half of this sugar tonnage
goes over the lines supposed to have
lived up to the agreement.
Leeds said his object in cutting rates
was to bring out something else, leaving
the inference to be drawn that he wanted
to stir up an investigation of the methods
of the other roads.
Having thus steered clear of bad rock,
the board turned its attention to other
matters, and adopted resolutions of great
Importance. They are, in substance.
that the life of the association be ex-
tended for fixed term, say until Janu-
ary l, 1896; that the commissioners pre-
pare plan for the establishment of
agencies; that the commissioners report
upon the advisability of a division of per-
centages of competitive tonnage.
AS soon as the reports are prepared
they to be submitted without delay to the
respective Boards of Directors, with the
object of ascertaining if it be advisable
to enter into such plans and agreements.
The general impression at the close of
the meeting regarding Leeds was that he
would be offered some position by Gould
equally as good as that of Freight Traffic
Manager of the Union Pacific. 1t was
quite evident that Gould did not antici-
prte the boards decision in regard to
Leeds, and those familiar with his ways
says he was annoyed at being compelled
However that may be, he certainly sue
ceeded in getting his point of the agency
plan in motion. The resolution adopted
by the board is virtually the five-year
plan drawn up by Gould and Colonel
McCook when the association originally
organized.
After the meeting finally adjourned to-
day, all the members expressed the opin-
ion that the resolutions would be ac-
cepted by the various roads and the plan
successfully carried out.
Gould said he considered the adoption
of the plan of five years. existence and
the point of agencies the most important
things the board had done since its
formation.
MICHIGAN CENTRAL.
DETROIT, May THE annual report of
the Michigan Central Railroad shows the
gross earnings to be SD, ,400, I'll, and the
operating expenses and taxes, $40, ,731, ,754.
A five per cent. dividend was declared.