Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-10-31
IT WAS A FIzzLE.
The Rate Conference Ends Without
any Definite Action.
WAR on ELECTRIC LIGHT RATES.
The Old Electric Light Company Is
Now Determined 10 Make a Long
and Determined Fight.

The trafilo conference IL over and
Utah iobtcrs are In the same position
new that they were before the long
looked-for meeting occurred. The
conference adjourned yesterday even
Ing TO take up the rrans- Missouri. tab
nuu California. Utah rats question
again at the next regular meeting TO
b. held on Nov. iosh, the place for the
meeting TO bs designated later on.
Discussion yesterday ran 10 the same
groove an II had on the previous days;
but the question came to be 90 big that
the conference despaired Of successfully
handling IL.
The Interests OF Utah were veil
looked after by Representatives OF tho
Utah Jobbrts' ssiociation, but on &C
count Of a failure on the part OF tho
railroad men 10 como to u conclusion
they were obliged 10 content them
selves with a thorough exposition Of
their oAIe.
The Southern Pacific insisted upon
n rate Of 20 per cent OF the eastern rate;
OF Ia other words, where tho Trans
Missouri railways charge 81 on n given
amount OF freight the Southern Pacific
should be allowed 10 carry that amount
from San Francisco ioi 20 cents. II
was claimed by tho eastern roads that
under ruling like that mercha ndise
could DO carried by water from New
York 10 San Francisco aud back to
Utah from that pOiut by rail Mt y
cheaper rats than u could DO hauled
by rail direct from New York 10 Titan.
rho natural result would to that Utah
merchants would certainly purchase
their goods In San Francisco, giving
tho bouihern Pacific all the freight
business OF this territory anu tho
Tranf- Missouri lines would be lett cut
In toe cold. The question Of com.
higher price tor merohardiso
under existing freight rates than they
would under this proposed new rule
does no. coscern the trans.Mis.ouri
lines In the least. What they want 10
n keep the freight business TO them.
selves and let Utah merchants dance
To their prices; while on the other
hand the Southern Pacific wants the
Utah business aud offers y reduction
Of 80 per cont In freight rates because
their haul IL % much shorter. A basis
OF so per cent was offered by the east
ern lines but that was not satisfactory
TO the western road and that one ques-
ton has kept the railway represents.
tivss talking for three d.ys. Whether
the question will be settled nj the next
meeting 10 a decidedly speculative
proposition.
ELECTRIC WAR.
Although stories OF a rate war In
the electric light business have several
times been circulated and have lust As
many times been denied, it now trans
piTes that there IL In reality a war
on .he iapis. The Bait Lske 4 Ogden
Gas d Electric Light company
has announced through its secretary
ihAt II has conclusive evidence that
the Citizens Electric Light company
IL furnishing light for practically
nothing In order 10 capture the busi.
noss VI the city; aud In view OF that
fact the old company Ia prepared 10
meet the cut nj 09i per cent reduction
II necessary; that tbs war will immedi-
ately commence aud that IL will DO
carried on for five years, n that
length Of time shall be- required TO
bring out nsg OF truce from tho now
company.