St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-12
HILL HOLDS 4 KEY.
He Seems to Be Absolute
Master Of the TranSeon-
tinental Situation.
Other Roads Arguing Them
selves Down TO Meet the
Great Northern.
Does Hill Mean to Finally
Rake in the Rival North
ern Pacific?
An Interesting Situation Laid
Down by an Official on
the Inside.

The TranScontinental association
meeting which has been in session sew
eral days at the general offices of the
Great Northern in st. Paul, seems yet
to be two or three days short OF making
an amicable adjustment Of rates for Pa
citic coast points. There is no longer
doubt that Mr.. Hill is master of the
situation: but while this is the
case the leading officials Of the line are
not growing, bat remain practically
silent when approached for Information.
They smile, but keep quiet. One OF the
most prominent officials was seen last
evening by a reporter outside the room
where the magnates were cl0Seted and
engaged in their desperate fencing
match.
II have no information to give" said
he. with a contented expression on his
c0untenance. 1.-The meeting will prob
ably come to an end during the next
fOrty-eight hours. | can give you no
information as to what is going on III
there without violating the rule In such
eases. | might, however, merely say,
that the other fellows are not agreed
among themselves as to what to 90.
They don't know just what to 40. Iney
seem to be in a dllenma: but l think
matters will work out all right Soon."
Fight for supremacy.
Another prominent railroad man, dis
cusSing the situation last night, SAID:
The freight and passenger officlals OF
the Northern Pacific and Great North
ern are engaged in Il revision OF tariffs.
The completion of the Great Northern
TO the Pacific coast has been awaited
with the keenest expectation by the
managers of all the transcontinental
lines. not excepting the Cana
dian Pacific, for it has been freely
rumored that President Hill, the
latest great competitor for through
traffic, would make rate from ocean to
ocean that would simply force some OF
his competitors into cave OF far-reacil-
ing ana permanent gloom. Friends and
allies of the Great Northern have de
ciared that the famous ST. Paul coast
line is to be Hills ''meat," if fine fgur-
ing can accomplish the desired result.
With an average indebtedness OF
100000 per mile as against Sl3,O00
per mile i'll favor of the Great Northern,
with no blanket mortgages and first
class credit, it is declared to be the pur-
pose OIL Gue NlcdI NOl vi NNoUSiH I'll
way magnate to force this competitor
into the hands of receiver. ms
would. of course, retire tie bonds OF the
latter and so depreciate the stock that
President Hill and his COadjutOrS would
be enabled to capture this great prop
erty.
The traffic managers, passenger
agents and all their clerical be-
lodgings are. of course, but the
executors of the will of the two
giants vino are pulling the strings.
The ''amicable contest" now on between
the executive officers during the rate
adjustment conference, while or great
Importance to the shipping and travel
ing public, is but unit in the problem
agitating the minds of the real leaders
in the contest-a contest for supremacy
in the transcOntinental traffic field. The
results Of the present conference Will
be far-reaching, affecting the Union
Pacific, Santa Fe, Canadian Pacific,
and, in fact, every trunk line III the
country. This result will affect every
big line in the country, and Will be anX-
iouSly awaited by every railway mag
nate in the United States. Mr.. HUI IS
believed by many to be master OF the
situation, and it would be interesting
to oDSerVe the ulHereHI inoVeS VI
the local diplomats during the
conference, which will probably
extend over another week. The traffic
men of the Great Northern are able aud
efficient ambassadors. AID they are con-
fronted with equally able conferrees.
If the purely physical aspects OF the SIT
uation are in favor of the Great North
ern, as has been persistently claimed by
its friends, that corporation will dictate
terms winch its competitors must ABIDE
by. If, Oh the other hand, it is demon
strated that its great rival can establish
its ability to maintain present tariffs,
the fight of the traffic men VIII
probably result in drawn battle. In
the meantime the tinancierS of Gotham,
who in the end control railway values,
will probably attempt and perhaps carry
through some startling coup d'etat that
mavin the near future entirely revolt
tionize the management OF more than
one of the great tranScOntinental COM
mon carriers. The preliminaries OF the
great contest for supremacy are being
waged right here in st. Paul. The gen.
eral engagement may extend to NAH