The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-01-06

| A prominent railroad official yesser-
day remarked to the Herald man that
he doesn't understand why it 5 that
the newspapers are letting this matter
of the Union Pacific and Rio Crande
Western combine drop.
when it first came out he
said, 1.-THE Herald thoroughly
exposed the nature of the
deal. But the merchants should be
reused to the full meaning of the move
ments that are being made. Some of
them are beginning now to realize
that they will lose in increased rates
if they are not up and doing, and there
| is now talk of calling big meeting of
the business men and shippers of this
| city to consider ways to break the
combination
But how could the combination be
broken, If they have gone in to con-
troll all the business of Utah? AS the
two roads concerned are the only ones
leading out of Utah, the business must
go via one or the other"
there IS only one way, and that is
to punish the one that was the first
to make the offer of the deal. Accord
ing to what I have heard the propo-
sltlon was first made in a meeting at
Denver at which Messrs. Munroe and
Eccles OF the Union Pacific, and Bah
cock and Dodge of the Rio Grande
western We're present The PROPOSE
ton came from the Rio Grande West
ern and at the meeting the Union Pa
cite officials declined to entertain it.
Then am told that Colonel Dodge
went TO Omaha and saw the receivers
personally about the matter, and that
the receivers, against the counsel of
all the interested officials, determined
TO enter into it. The details were ar
ranged in Omaha, where Mr.. BabcocIz
went to meet Mr.. Munroe The whole
thing was perfected at the meeting
held last Saturday in this CITY"
According to this view the Western
was the aggressive party in the mat
Ter ana the Union Pacific was reluctant
70 go INTO 1t. Therefore those who are
talking of banding together for the
breaking of this combination or TO
pr1ng 1t to terms. see that the only
Leaslole plan will be to turn their traf-
nc over to the Union Pacific. This
will Immediately cut down the profits
OF the Western and the agreement.
!roncIad as 1t is. will not last for very
lohe- Inat is the only plan that is
now talked of. and seems to be the
only one that meets with favor. 1t is
certain that the combination should
DC olOhSu anu the only way to break
1t will be to switch all traffic to the
line that is the most deserving"
But they say that the rates are not
70 be raised because of the combina-
ton. Then why should it be broken %
The combination was formed For
the purpose of killing the Sanpete
Valley. Utah Central and Great Salt
Lake & Hot Springs The object is
to get all the business into the hands
OF the two roads and then to combine
on a class Of rates that will vastly as
tenish the shippers of Utah. There can
hardly be anv doubt but what it was
the object to push the roads to the
wall with the object of purchasing
them at a cheap price. The Western
has long coveted the line to Park CITY
and would probably buy it if il was
sold on the block. As to the other
roads thew were likely to prove very
irritating thorns in the sides of the
two CORPORATIONS. AS to that talk about
no raising Of rates, the simple fact
is that some Of the mines in the Tin
TIC region will be compelled to Law off
hands on account Of the increase in the
ore tariff. The increase of the farify
on cattle bv the addition of SIT to the
Missouri river. and the increase in
the rate on wheat are likely to prove
serious burdens. All kinds of rates
will be raised and the merchants will
feel it in time