Birmingham age-herald., 1895-04-20
WITH THE RAILROADS.

The rate committee of the Southern States Passenger association will hold it's first meeting in Atlanta on the 24th in- stant. Before this committee, and at this meeting. will come a number of im- portant matters, which will be of especial interest to railroad people and also to the general public. The most important of these will be the question of regulations and rules governing the rate committee of the new association. While it is not known what these rules and regulations will be, it is thought the ones which gov erned the old association will be adopted, although some few changes are looked for.
 The question of excursion and tourists rates will be brought up before the meet ing. Then there will be other matters equally as interesting. The rate commit tee is composed of all of the general pas senger agents of the association.
 How It Looks in Atlanta.
 There has been considerable consterna- tion among the local passenger solicitors as to the rumored cut in the rate to the Confederate Veterans encampinent in Houston, Tex, west of Birmingham, says the Atlanta Constitution
 1t Dispatches from Birmingham state that some road has made cut against ] the regular schedule of rates to the Hous- ton convention by the Southern States Passenger association.
 It was told here yesterday among the local solicitors that the cut was made by the Queen and Crescent working in con nection with the Houston and Eastern Texas.
 It is further said that it is the deter imitation of the Queen and Crescent folks to stab the association of passen- ger lines every chance it can get, and that general and promiscuous rate war will be the result.
 There is no hope for substantial rates in the southern territory until the Sea- board is gotten back in harness" said a passenger solicitor many years in the business yesterday.
 There is no substantial rate now be- tween Atlanta and the east. The Sea boards cut caused the Southern to make cut too, though the Southern has never put that rate forward in published form. The Southern is practically meeting the rate of the Seaboard every day, whether publicly or privately"
 Whatever truth there may be in this statement it certainly seems that the ground is shaky In this region of the south just at present with respect to pas senger rates.
 The Queen and Crescent has boldly de- clined to enter the new passenger asSo- ciation. The Louisville and Nashville is only in it with part of its lines. and the
 
 Memphis and Charleston and the Nash vile, Chattanooga and St. Louis are all left out of the new organization. It is no uncommon prediction to hear local passenger men say that a general passenger rate war is sure to be the grand finale of all this dissension. They say that with the increased activity in passenger traffic brought on by the gradual approach of the Cotton States and International exposition this dis sension will grow all the re-dangerous and will finally wind up in the taking off of the bridle and free-for-all fight. Soon the Ocean Steamship line, with it's attractive summer trip to New York over the waters, will feel the weight of the Seaboard's cut rates, it is argued, by local passenger men. Then it may take hand in the cut acting with the Central railroad, its connecting rail line at Savannah. This will add new inter- est to the situation.
 The most conservative railroad men in Atlanta, after cautiously surveying the field, say they cannot reasonably predict any speedy restoration of har- mony among the passenger lines One-Armed George Ely. r. Mr. George W. Ely, travelling passen- ger agent of the Southern Pacific, was in the city yesterday distributing adVertis- ing matter of the United Confederate Veterans reunion, which is to be held at Houston, Tex, from May 22 to 25.
 One of the flyers has a cut represent ing an old Confederate soldier, the sub ject of which is George w. Ely, minus one arm. leaning upon the Confederate flag. By the side of this old veteran is birds eye view of Houston and scenes around the camp fires of the COS The flyer is the handiwork of MT. c. D. In- graham.