Huntsville gazette., 1893-09-16
RATES MAY BE GUT.


The Scramble for the Worlds Fair Brsi-
mesa by the Western Roads May Lead
TO Further Cuts-The Agents Making
Charges and Counter Charges Against
Each Other. and the Public May. In
the End. be Benefitted-Improveme
In Freight Traffic.
CHICAGO, Sept. IA regular hor-
nets nest has been started up in the
western Passenger association, and
members are flying at each other with
charges and counter-charges. The re-
suit Of the whole will probably be
further reduction in Worlds fair rates.
The immediate cause of the present
trouble is an advertisement of the
Santa Fe which appeared in the To-
peka papers, announcing that men,
bers of the Kansas chorus that are
coming to the celebration Of Kansas
week at the fair would be admitted to
the fair grounds free. That is an ar
rangement of the fair directors, but
the advertisement has been taken
as offering free admission to the
fair grounds for everybody The
Santa Fe is also accused
of having donated through local
shipper at Leavenworth $3.50 to the
chorus members from that place and
by so doing persuaded them to cancel
an arrangement they had with the
Burlington for transportat over
that road. The Santa Fe officials say
If any such donation was made thew
know nothing of it, but they know
that all their competitors are doing
the same kind of thing all around.
and they have already placed in the
hands of the chairman evidence to
that effect. They add that if the pres
ent turmoil IS to be continued they
will at once give notice Of their inten-
ton to begin running cheap excursions
as they have right to do under the
agreement.
Freight traffic is improving consid-
siderably. Both the lake-and-rail and
the all-rail lines made substantial
gains last week as compared with the
previous one, which in turn was con-
siderably better than the one preced-
ing it. All-rail shipments last week
aggregated $1,000 tons against 50,2
tons for the previous week, and $3.50
tons for the corresponding week last
year. Lake shipments amounted to
S5,24S tons, against s0,746 tons for the
previous week. Through shipments OF
flour, grain and provision amounted to
24,973 tons against 35,962 tons for the
previous week and 21, 1872 tons for the
corresponding week last year.
Through shipments are carried by
the competing roads in the following
proportions: Baltimore e. Ohio, 81 per
cent; Big Four, 5.S per cent; Chicago
&c Erie, 12.5 per cent; Grand Trunk,
81 per cent; Lake Shore, 1871 per
cent; Michigan Central, 14.4 per cent;
Nickel Plate, So per cent. Panhandle,
7.6 per cent; Fort Wayne, 11.6 per
cent; Wabash, per cent
Joint notice has been served by the
southwestern lines on their connec-
tions outside the association that busi-
ness between their terminals must be
protected at all hazards. 10 do 80 it
will be necessary for them to insist
that no cut rates on through business
may be made by competing lines out
side the association, either until they
have been advised and their consent
obtained no stop-over privileges must
be provided for within Western Pas
senger association territory, and all
other regulations must be strictly adj
hered to. The western roads say ID
would pay them better to go out OF
the through business entirely from
now until the end of the Worlds fair
than to allow rates to be demoralized
between their terminals.