St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-14
DISSOLUTION IS NEAR.
The Western Traffic Ass0cia-
ton Likely to Be Defunct
Very Soon.
Positive Stand Taken by the
Burlington Is Response
bic for the Split.
President Miller's Interpre-
tation of a Rule Strongly
Objected To.
Witnesses at Chicago Decline
to Answer Questions Of
InquiSitOrS.

CHICAGO, July 13.-NO one. seems to
doubt that the dissolution of the West
ern Traffic association is now only a
question of a short time. Various Opin-
ions are expressed in regard to the Bur-
lington's refusal to take part in the
meeting of the advisory board this week.
Some criticise that company very
severely for the stand it took, while
others declare that it is just right. The
whole dispute arose from the different
construction placed by the different
members upon one of the resolutions
forming part of the original agree
ment. This resolution reads:
Fifth hat q vote at least four-fifths of
the members of the association shall be re-
quired to make its action binding upon all.
At the first meeting of the advisory
board after the agreement went into
effect there was a discussion over this
clause. and President Miller was called
upon for an Interpretation Of 1t. Mr..
Miller ruled that after the commission
erS had decided any question appealed
to them. ii required fOur-ffths vote OF
the members to set the decision aside.
Both the Burlington and the Atchi-
son protested against this ruling, declar-
ing that if 1t were allowed to stand it
would give the commissioners greater
power i'll the management of the rail-
roads than the presidents themselves
possessed. They held that the proper
construction to be put upon the agree
ment was that tour-fifths vote of the
members was required to sustain the
commissioners after an appeal had been
taken from their decision by the line or
lines affected. They insisted, and still
insist. that this was the meaning
originally intended when the resolution
was framed and adopted.
AS this position was taken by the
Burlington long before any charges
were made against it, the officials of the
company say that they could not have
been actuated by desire TO save their
general agent from dismissal for cutting
rates. Furthermore, they claim that
they did not ask for an amendment to
the agreement. They simply asked that
the agreement he enforced as it stands.
AT every meeting of the advisory board
since the first one they have endeavored
to have the advisory board set itself
right Oh the four -fifths clause. but have
failed in every attempt. Finally, in the
hope of compelling the presidents to
take some action on the subject, they
gave notice that they would attend the
July meeting only OH the condition that
the matter be taken up and adjusted.
"We have no desire to withdraw from
the association" said Burlington Off
cal today. I'VE only ask that all the
provisions of the agreement be oh,
served. The commissioners have the
power to divert the traffic, or to take
such steps as may be necessary to
secure TO each road its fair share of
competitive business. They don't doit.
They are required to keep statistics so
that they will know just what every
road in the association is doing. They
don't do that, either. OF what use is an
agreement if the commissioners are
permitted to ignore certain OF its pro-
visions?