St. Paul daily globe., 1891-05-08
Jay Gould Lets the Missouri
Pacific Traffic Manager
Out. -
Some Say the Movement Is
Merely a Trick Of
Gould's.
The Boycott Seems to In
crease Alton Passenger
Traffic.
Doings in the Railroad World
at Home and Else
where.

New York, May 7.-Considerable
dissatisfaction was expressed by the
members of the advisory board of the
western Traffic association when they
met at the Windsor hotel this morning
for their second days session, about the
way matters were dragging along.
Many OF them want to leave the city to
attend to important business, and they
say that nothing is being accomplished
at the meeting. They characterize the
affair as a mere matter of each waiting
to see the other make the first move.
Mr. Leeds statement at Yesterdays
meeting, so far as he was allowed to
proceed with it, was not what the men,
bers of the advisory board wanted. 1t
did not touch upon the vital point
that of cutting the sugar rate.
AS one OF the members of the
board put the matter this forenoon:
"Mr. Leeds statement was one of those
beautiful concOctions of generalties, that
touched upon everything but the mat
ter it ought to-" 1t was said that as
soon as the meeting began this morn
ing, resolution would be offered ask
ing that Mr.. Leeds be compelled to con-
fine his remarks strictly to the question
OF the violation of
The Rate Rule
by his road-the Missouri Pacific. Sew
eral of the railroad men said what
they think of Mr.. Gould's Joint
Eastern agency scheme, and how
Ii would be received by the
members of the board in session,
but one and all refused to express an
opinion. Mr.. Gould arrived early at the
windsor hotel this morning. He was
asked by the reporters what he knew
of the crazy man who said he had come
all the way from Colorado to kill him. Mr..
Gould replied that all he knew of the
matter was what he saw in the morning
papers. When asked about the Eastern
agency matter, he refused to talk I'M
mediatety after Mr.. Gould's arrival the
meeting went into session. The South
ern Pacific company had no representa-
tive present this morning. All the other
roads were represented as at yester-
days meeting. AT IL o'clock Mr. Cable
came out of the meeting and said that
Mr. Leeds had just left. That he had
been stopped in his statement, as he
practically admitted his guilt. Mr..
Cable further said that 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 Mr.. Leeds had
been found guilty, Mr.. Cable
replied no, because he had admitted his
guilt. This meant that Mr.. Leeds would
go. As Mr.. Gould said yesterday that he
would abide by whatever decision the
board arrived at in the matter, it IS pre-
sumed that he will make no objection
to Mr. Leeds removal. The board took
a recess at p. m. for lunch. Before
that hour Russell Sage and Sidney
Dillon left the meeting and went down
town.
After the Recess,
Chairman HIghitt said 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 COM
missioners. In the afternoon it
was learned that Traffic Man
ager Leeds, of the Missouri
Pacific railroad had been dis
charged by Jay Gould, and that he
leaves for the West tonight. Mr. Gould,
when spoken to about the matter, would
say nothing more than that he had dis
charged Leeds. He~referred his in
quirerS to that gentleman for any fur
ther news. Mr.. Leeds, on being ques-
toned, stated that he only was to blame
for the cutting, and that he did not do it
under Mr.. Gould'S Instructions, He did
what he thought best for the road, and
just what other roads were doing. bat
in different manner. He declared that
Mr.. Gould had not offered him any
other position, and that he intended to
stay in the railroad business. At pres
ent Mr.. Leeds had no plans. He did
not know where he was going or what
his plans were. 1t was rumored that
Mr.. Leeds had been offered the position
of traffic manager on the Union Pacific,
but if he has he has nothing to say.
The following resolution was unani-
mously passed.:
''It is the sense of this board that the
life of the Western Traffic association
ought to be extended for a fixed period.
say until Jan. l, 1896. In order that re-
forms and economies be established
which cannot now be carried into effect,
owing to the uncertainties attending the
existence of the association.
'That the commissioners be directed to
prepare plan by which. as far as possible
independent agencies may lie abolished, and
joint agencies established, to lessen the ex-
penses in the competitive business of mem
bers of the association.
THAT the commissioners be directed TO
look into the matter Of the division by per-
centage of competitive tonnage arising at
and to submit report, together with the
plan referred to in the/ previous section. TO
each member of the association.
THAT without binding any member of the
- IL Il II
the commissioners, but solely for the purpose
of saving time, when the reports of the com
missioners shall have been received by the
members of the association they shall be sub.
mitted without delay to the respective board
of directors, with the object of ascertainiug
if it be advisable to enter into such plans
and agreements as are contemplated in the
foregoing resolutions"
The general impression at the close
of the meeting regarding Mr.. Leeds
future in railroad circles was that he
would be offered some position by Mr..
Gould equally as good as that of freight
traffic manager of the Missouri Pacific.
1t was quite evident that Mr.. Gould did
not anticipate early In the morning any
such decision of the board regarding
the Leeds case. During the recess Mr..
Gould walked nervously up and down
the corridors, every now and then going
to the ticker tape and reading the
market quotations. The tape showed
general fall in the stock market.
Those about the hotel familiar with Mr..
Gould's ways, said he was annoyed at
being compelled to knuckle to the dicta-
ton of the board and dismiss Mr.. Leeds,
and that he would get even with the
other members in the afternoon session
by springing his pet scheme of joint
agencies on them, and compelling them