The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-17
LOCAL LINES STILL AT WAR
. Bnt, According to a Chicago Report,
the Roads Are Getting Tired of Il.
Two Stories Concerning the Rate War in This
Territory-More Money TO Be Spent on the
Monon-Panhsndle Conductors.

The faint prospect of q restoration OF
passen ger rites in the Chicago and Ohio
River Traffic Association territory. which
encouraged conservative railroad men to
believe that the rate war would soon end,
have entirely disappeared. aud everything
now points to an all warfare. which
means still lower rates during the worlds
far. It is understood that both the Monon
and the Cincinnati. Hamilton & Dayton
will not be bound by any agreement. nor
sven enter into one. regarding worlds fair
rates until the Pennsylvania lines cease
fighting them. The c., II. 81 ID. and the
Monon are now on the defensive side. The
position these tworoads have taken has
aroused the feeling OF the PcnnsyIvanla
people. aud IL is stated that the latter VIII
wage the rate war more bitterly, introduce
ing q time war. and, it is said. the Penn
sy1vania will not yield q point, expecting
that the Monon and the g.. H.. 81 u. will
sue for peace before the worlds fair be-
comes an important factor In the situation.
On the other hand. the Monon and the e..
H.. ~ ID. say such u scheme viii not sue
coed, and that an attempt to heal the diff
ferences will not originate with either OF
them. So far as the Big our Is concerned.
tt Is Obliged TO meet any rates which either
WhI mbkt. tWttQ5Idnuln Us
TO carrying business at the present low
rates.
An Associated Press dispatch says: IA
call will soon be issued for o meeting
of the general managers of the Chicago
and Ohio river roads for the purpose OF
settling the passenger rate war. There 10
every reason to believe that they will be
successful, as they are now all heartily SICK
of the fight and anxious TO begin the new
PEAR with rates restored to o paying basis"
|
The Withdrawal of Panhandle Conductors.
The announcement of the withdrawal of
\ number of conductors of the Peunsyl-
vania ines from the Order of Railway
Conductors. published yesterday morning.
created quite o stir among the members OF
the organization here, as the Indianapolis
division is one of the largest and most pros
porous in the organization. A Pittsburg
conductor said: 1T means just this: be-
long to the order and lose your job. or leave
the order and keep your job. By next May
! don't expect TO see q single conductor on
the Panhandle q member of the union. The
company was afraid to risk running
through mex summer with men belonging
to the ORDER. aud so they got the drop on
US. / have got a job. and L guess L know how
to keep it." Ano. Ter conductor said be be-
longed to the order. but knew enough to
come in out of the wet when IL rains.
Other conductors were approached. but
they refused to talk, except to say the
move is going on. The railroad officials
have nothing to say.
The foregoing was shown to an official of
the Pennsylvania lines. He said that SO
far as the Indianapolis division was con-
cerned he knew of bat one conductor who
had withdrawn. and gave his name. He
added that there were on the Indianapolis
division fewer men connected with the
labor unions and organizations OF that
character than on any other division on the
system, and there would be but few. if any,
conductors to withdraw from the Order of
Railway Conductors. The conductor
named was seen and asked his reason for
withdrawing from the organization. He
answered that he WAS among the original
we're now not what they then wore. He
renamed with the organization until it
put q strike clause in its bylaws. In the
past the Order OF Railway Conductors had
been o al to the company which employed
. them: in fact. was the Only railroad organ
IZation which had been truly loyal, but to
belong to an organization which would
strike meant ~disloyalty to the company,
and for thatreason he left the organization.
The Monon to Be Improved
Money is to be expended freely for i'm
provements during the coming year by the
Louisville. New Albany & Chicago COM
pany. General Manager McDoel has just
returned to Chicago from New York with
permission from President Samuel Thomas
to carry out his own ideas in regard to bet
terments. new equipment and everything
required for the convenience and expedl-
tious handling of business during the
worlds fair year. Mr.. McDoel was enabled
to submit to the Eastern oficersof the road
q most gratifying report of the past year.
steady gains In all departments.
Notwithstanding the conditions havo. In
some respects. been anything but favor
able. The increase in earnings during
eleven months of the year was over $40. 600.
partly due to handsome gains In passeng ger
earnings which the report shows in spite of
the ruinous rate war In which the Monon
and its competitors have been engaged for
several months. Mr.. McDoel said yester-
day: II went East TO lay before the presl-
dent my report of the years work and
plans for the future operation of the prop
erty. 1t was decided that still further i'm
provements were needed. and l was author
ized to carry out my plans in accordance
with my own judgment. Extensive add
tons Will be made to both passenger and
freight equipments, though We already
have enough to meet all ordinary demands.
The work of reballasting the road will
soon be completed and almost the entire
line has been relaid with heavy steel rails.
Sharp Practice in n Railway Deal.
Probably the greatest railroad deal OF
recent years 80 far as western Massachu.
sets Is concerned was checkmated Last
night. The New York. New Haven &
Hartford railroad on Tuesday last secured
from the directors of the Connecticut River
railroad their consent to lease that road,
the idea being eventually to make it q por-
ton of the consolidated system. 1t was
presumed by the public. and IN fact by a
large majority of the railroad people, that
this settled the matter. the only thing
necessary being the ratification OF
the action of the directors by the
stockholders of the Connecticut River
railroad. A bomb was thrown into
financial circles yesterday when II
was reported that the Boston & Maine
interest had secured an option or purchased
over 11.e00 shares of Connecticut River
stock out of q total capitalization of e. $50.
900. This made it necessary to secure only
q few hundred shares and. as 10 took a two
thirds vote of the stockholders of the Con.
nectiout River to lease that road, 1t seems
TO eff~ectually prevent the lease of the road
TO the New York. New Haven n Hartford
road in any event
New Railway In the Gas Belt.
Parties representing q construction com
pany of Chicago were in Kokomo yester
day, after an overland tour of the gas belt.
Their purpose Is to build o railroad through
the gas Territory the terminal points beinc