The Indianapolis journal., 1894-02-21
RAILWAY RATE WARS
Views of General Agent Charlton
OF the Chicago Il Alton.
Meeting of General Managers of the
Union Railway and Belt Road-Ex-0
penses to BE Further Reduced.

James Charlton, general ticket and pas
senger agent OF the Chicago & Alton, is in
the city. and will spend several days n
this State Ohio and Kentucky looking over
the field for business. in company with A.
ID. Perry. Mr.. Charlton, IN speaking Of
the rate war, which IS practically on be-
tween the Santa Fe and the Southern Pa
cific says lie fears it will be an ugly one,
and nobody can tell what IL is about. The
Santa Fe people say they are not in fault
and the Southern Pacific say that they are
not, and 1t probably will never be known
what the fight Is about. He thought pas
senger rate wars at this time were very
unfortunate, the roads had but little
freight to haul. and the revenue for the
next year, unless there was soon some i'm
provement in freight business, must come
from the passenger traffic. Should the
Santa Fe make its five-dollar rate from
Missouri river points TO Los Angeles, the
Southern Pacific would be the better off,
as it would get its fifteen-dollar local rate
between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
which would yield a larger revenue than
will it's long-haul through business at rates
which are likely to rule before the war is
over. He hoped the rate war would not
come east of the Mississippi river, as the
Bo-called Missouri river lines had enough
OF rate troubles, and are not anxious to
weak link in chain, and it might be that
the lines east OF the river would be drawn
into it. The Chicago & Alton would do its
said Mr.. Charlton, "the best of our roads
will have all they can do TO keep things
the e'ir reyenue % POSSIBLE is % furnished T by " the
passenger department, and just now the
passenger department is making very
good showing in that direction. To sum
Il all up. / must say that in my long rail-
road experience 1 have never known
time when rate wars in this or any other
territory could be so disastrous to the In
terests of the employe, the stockholder,
the bondholder, and, in fact, to all inter-
ested in the prosperity Of the railroads"
The General Managers' Meeting.
The general managers Of the roads which
use the Union Station, Union tracks and
Belt road held their monthly meeting yes
terday, all the roads, with one exception.
being represented by it's general manager
Or general superintendent Much Of the
business transacted was of routine
character. The most lengthy discussion
was on the division OF expenses. The Van
dalia and the Big Four claim to be de-
fraying more than their fair share in bear
Ing expenses. The question was referred
10 a committee to report on at the next
TO carry the mail between the Union Sta
ton and the postoffice was not renewed;
There is a disposition to reduce the cost
OF the service, although one general man
'ager expressed himself being in favor
of paying more and having better service
In character OF the wagons run between
the station and the posteffice and the ami
mails hauling the wagons, or, as he put
it afterwards, have the business done I'm
a more city-like style D. F. Whitcomb.
superintendent, presented several reports
showing the business of last year and the
cost OF handling It, Reports were referred
to a committee to examine and make COM
parison with preceding years to ascertain
what reduction had been made last year
and where a further cutting down of ex-
penses could be indulged in without detri-
ment to the service. The meeting was a
harmonious one and but two hours in
length. several matters being left over un-
til the next meeting, the third Tuesday
In March.