The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-01
WAR OF THE RAILROADS.
Passenger Rates to Share the Fate Of
Those on Freight.

Z.
ready Put in Force by Some of the
Roads-The Merchants and Miners
Steamboat Company Lops OFF
About so Per Cent. of It's Charges.
Atlanta, Ga, May 1.-Representatives
of the Western lines in the Southern Rail
way and Steamship Association met here
to-day, pursuant TO a call of Commissioner
Stahlman, to consider the interests of the
Western lines as affected by the cuts on
eastern freights. The roads represented
were the Alabama and Great Southern
Railroad Company, Alabama Midland
halfway Company, Atlanta and West
Polnt Railway Company, Cincin-
nau, New Orleans, and Texas Pa
cltic Railway, Illinois, Central.
Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham
Railroad Company; Louisville and Nash
vile, Memphis ana Charleston, Mobile
and Ohio and the Nashville, CHATTANOOGA
and st. Louis Hallway Company. The
western lines want reddiuStment of
rates. If the present cut is to be CON
tnued they want TO meet it. The situa-
tlon involves some serious questions
winch cannot be easily settled
After comforting all the afternoon, the
meeting adjourned till tomorrow, when
the conference will be continued in Nash
vile, the representatives leaving tonight
Ior that city The meeting was trans
ferred to Nashville on account of the close
proximity to the lines affected.
y GIGANTIC RATE WAR.
Memphis. Tenn, May 3l.-The most
gigantic rate war in the history of rail
roadlng in the southern states has broken
out and every road south of the Ohio and
Potomac rivers and some of the eastern
lines are involved. The trouble has been
brewing for some time. Three or four
INES nave been secretly cutting
month past, thereby reaping a rich
harvest. Inc other roads soon discoy-
cred the cut and demanded that the guer-
rilla warfare cease. The Southern
Railway and Steamship Association was
asked to interfere and put stop TO the
rate cutting, but Chairman Stahlman
was unable to bring about settlement.
and advised the roads that had stood
by the agreement to go into the tight for
blood.
A CUT OF 60 PER CENT.
As a result the Louisville and Nash
vile, the East Tennessee. Virginia and
Georgia, the Tennessee Midland. the Kan
sas City. Memphis and Birmingham and
the Nashville, Chattanooga and St Louis
railroads to-day posted a notice that a
reduction of 60per cent. on freight to aud
from eastern points would take effect
June 2. The notice created no little eX-
citement in railroad circles, but
it was not thought that passen-
ger rates would be disturbed The
idea was dispelled late this afternoon,
however, when the Tennessee Midland
posted notice OF swoOping cut in pass
enger tickets to eastern and northern
points. The Louisville and Nashville
promptly met the reduction and announced
that it was in the fight to the finish
The other lines have not met the pass
enger cuts yet, but they are expected to
do so tomorrow.
THE WAR REACHES BALTIMORE.
Baltimore, Md, May 3l.-A bitter
freight rate war is on between the
southern railroad and steamboat
companies. Last Monday several of the
companies cut their rates 20 per cent,
and now the Merchants and Mi
ners' Transportation Company announce
further cut Of nearly 80 per cent. to 90
into effect next Saturday. The reduction
is on all classes OF freights, and for some
time, at least southern shippers VIII en-
JOY lower rates than ever known before
Efforts have already been started by
the officials of trans ortation companies
to reach some amiCable agreement, and
calls have Oeen issued for meeting in
New York the latter part of June The
history Of this war is an interesting one.
For a number of years the southern
transportation companies, both railroad
and steamship, have united in the South
ern Railroad and Steamship Association
This has maintained uniformity OF
rates and prevented any cuts or wars.
Last summer the Merchants and Min
ers' Transportation Company of this city
withdrew from the association upon the
ground that it did not approve of some of
the acts of the management. A few otner
companies also withdrew from the asso-
citation about this time, Freight rates.
however, were maintained by the With
drawing companies, and no fight
was then precipitated A few months
ago the Louisville and Nashville
road got into wrangle with the
Queen and Crescent route, and withdrew
from the association. This withdrawal
had been preceded by that of the Nor
folk and Western road The Louisville
and Nashville promptly began a cut-rate
war. This has been followed by the
action of the Merchants and Miners Com
pany, which viii either force a settle
ment of the war or cause its competitors
to handle freight at ruinously low figures.