The morning call., 1893-05-23
A WAR OF RATES.
Here Is a Story With
Two Sides.
MR.. HUNTINGTON ON PANAMA
There Is No War of Rates, but 1t
Is ComiHg Pretty Close
to That.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

New YORK, May 22.-The Canadian Pa
clhc Railway to-day reduced rates on
freight between this city and San Fran
cisco to 81 per 100 pounds for the cheapest
class of freight, and 50 76 per 100 pounds
for the highest This was done to meet
the reduction on the same classes OF freight
made last week by the Southern Pacific
Railroad. and the new rates of the Cana
dian Pacific are 10 per cent lower than
those of its rival.
One OF the managers Of the Bank OF
Montreal. local transfer agents of the
Canadian Pacific, declared to-day that he
knew nothing whatever of the proposed
new Atlantic and Superior Railway, eX-
cent what appeared in the newspapers.
Another official. identified with the local
management of the Canadian Pacific,
spoke lightly of the new scheme as If it
were not to be regarded seriously. He de-
clined, however, to speak further about
the matter. Colonel A. R. Chisolm. banker,
elected Saturday in Montreal first vice
president Of the company, said:
"The people of Canada and the North
west have, for a long time. felt the neces-
sity of more direct railroad facilities for an
outlet to the Atlantic, and recently OBJ
tained charter from the Dominion Gov
ernment, Notwithstanding great opposition
by the Canadian Pacific. 1t is proposed to
consolidate a number of lines, either
finished or partly finished, which give them
an outlet at the Bale des Chaleurs, just
south of the mouth of the st. Lawrence.
This will reduce the total distance across
the Atlantic TO the shortest known dis
tance."
The Southern Pacific has not yet made
up its mind to reduce rates further. Z. p.
Huntington denied to-day that there was
a war Of rates between his own and the
Canadian Pacific Railway. He said their
relations were the most friendly. He ex-
planned the seeming conflict by saying
that he had figured out that the Southern
Pacific could carry at very low rates GER
tain freight which had hitherto gone
around Cape Horn to San Francisco. and
yet make a small profit and professed un-
concern at the last reduction by the Cana
dian Pacific. In fact he said he was glad
TO hear Of 1t. 1t really, he declared, did
not affect him or his railway.
Tha. in making the recent reduction tn
uated by hostility to the Panama Rail-
not refrain from saying some hard things
about the North American Transportation
Company. II was, he remarked, not
transportation company. but an organiza-
ton for the avowed purpose of breaking
rates. Huntington presaged that In carry
ing on this destructive policy the company
would find the only thing it had broken
was itself He said also that an arrange
ment would probably soon be made to
effect consolidation of interests with the
Columbian line, which now operates in
connection with the Panama Railroad be-
tween New York and Colon.
An entirely different version OF the rela-
tions between the Southern Pacific and the
Panama Railway was given by the pres-
dent of the latter, General Newton. He
said that the two corporations were not
friendly. So far from that, they were
actually at daggers' points, with the prob
ability largely in favor of the Panama in
juring the Southern Pacific. 1t was the
Southern Pacific. Newton declared, that
started the war. but he did not think the
Panama would cut down rates any more
Still another tale was told to-day by
Assistant General Traffic Manager Hawley
OF the Southern Pacific. The Southern
Pacific did not begin the present sharp
competition, he asserted. 1t was the Pan
ANA company which had made the first
cut, and the Southern Pacific was simply
keeping up with the procession.
President Renhart of the Atchison,
topeka and Santa Fe said to-day that the
withdrawal of the road from the Weatern
Passenger Association was not for the
purpose OF cutting rates, but to maintain
them both east and west of the Missouri
River. He does not expect war of rates.
CHICAGO. May 2s.-There were no de-
velopments worthy of note in the Western
passenger troubles to-day. The Western
roads have declined to join with the
Southern Pacific in making a round-trip
rate of $50 from California to the Worlds
Fair for railroad employees.
ANOTHER STORY. THIS