Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-03
Another Move in the Railroad Con-
fliet Now Waging.
cut OF TEE SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION
Views Of the Representatives of
Both Interests.
A BOUT OTHER ROADS

the gage of battle thrown down by the Sea-
board Air Line. and after a lengthy confer
ence, which lasted until a late hour last
night. the members decided to not only
meet but pass the cut in rates made Tues
day and Wednesday by the Seaboard. and
ordered a cut Of almost two-thirds In the
present schedule.
Late yesterday afternoon the Southern
Railway Company filed a notice with the
interstate commerce commission Of an In
tention to meet the Seaboard's cut of n Ia
per cent on both passenger and freight
schedules. and 1t Is expected that in ac-
cordance with the decision Of the execu-
tive board of the Southern Freight Associa-
ton. which was reached at q still later
hour the additional necessary legal notices
will be filed today with the interstate
commerce commission by the Southern of
Its intention to pass the Seaboard's cut, so
that the reduced rates may go into effect
as speedily as possible after that of the
SeaboardS, which takes effect Friday and
Saturday, respectively.
AS the Southern's new schedule cannot be
made effective until after three DAYS no.
tice, 1t will be powerless to avail itself of
the lower figures for either passenger
travel or freight traffic until Sunday. The
reduced rate will be about 65 per cent be-
low the present tariff. and Will be made ap-
plfcable to every competing point in the
territory Of the Southern States Freight
Association which is touched by the Sea-
BOARD AIT Line or any of Its allied roads.
AS VIII De seen below, the Seaboard prac-
tlcally threatens to again cut the rates al
ready announced. and there Is no telling
now cheaply people will be able to travel
peiore the war is brought to close.
From this time on until peace is re-
stored, unless there should be a change.
WHICH Is not likely, in the plans of the
managers VINO are conducting the Sea-
So.,u Ar Line end OF the war with the
Southern States Freight Association" said
prominent official of the first-named
company last evening in Baltimore to a
star reporter. the Seaboard may be ex-
pected to force the fighting, and as the
first step in that direction since filing no
tlce OF their intention to cut rates on both
passenger and tariff schedules with the
interstate commission they have decided to
comply with the request of the Travellers
Protective Association of America and will
put on sale, to go into effect tomorrow
HillaSe BOOKS, covering 1000 miles of tray-
el, Tor $40; 1.UU-mile books can also be
purchased, but the charge for these will be
$25, or at the rate of p: cents per mile as
against , cents mile when the larger
book Is purchased"
Part of the Plnn.
The Seaboard Line people claim that they
decided on this action some time ago and
would have put the new rates into effect
ere this but for the fact that Judge Simon
ton issued his now famous Injunction and
mat when the latter went into effect they
We're poweriess to carry out their plans in
the matter.
Since. however, the injunction has been
dissolved they are at liberty to do as they
please In their territory until at least Somr
one gets out an injunction compelling them
to again suspend the cut rate schedule
The action of the Seaboard is regarded as
sisnlhcant at this tine as the railroad COM
TiiSSioner5 of Georgia have now before
them a petition fl ON the Georgia division
OF the Travellers Protective Association of
America. asking the commission to compel
the railroads over which they have control
TO reduce their rates to the figures now con-
coded to the travelling public by the Sea-
board.
1t has been heretofore understood that the
passenger officials of all the roads in the
south were opposed to granting the con-
cessions asked for as above stated because
tie roads, as they said, could not stand
the lower rate, and this action by the Sea-
board seems to be playing right into the
hands of the travelling men.
Some Of the Seaboard people in talking
to Star reporter on this subject said
that for some reason, the cause of which
they We're ignorant, the great army of COM
mercial men travelling in the south have
come out in favor of the Seaboard with
both feet" and are are doing splendid mis-
sionary work in Its behalf, getting both pas
sengers and freight for it,
1t seems that the Seaboard is determined
to thoroughly demoraliZe both freight and
passenger rates whenever it is in their
power to do SO, and 1t is reported on sood
authority that Vice President st. John
has declared that every time an Injunction
Is applied for the Seaboard Air Line will
reduce the fare 81. 1t is further stated,
but not officially. that II the roads in the
Southern States Freight Association meet
the present cut the Seaboard will go be-
low it, even If in the course Of the next
week or two the the round trip rate from
Washington to Atlanta Is reduced TO $1I
for the round trip. good until used.
Effect on Other Roads.
Passenger men connected with lines which
have not yet been brought into the fight
between the Southern and Seaboard say
that radical cut in passenger rates would
hurt roads not in the south. and that a
reduction of 30 cents in the fare from
Memphis to Washington would cost the
pennsylvania railroad alone 100000 year.
because a slight change like that would
demoralize rates all over the country. 1t
is quite certain, however. that the Penn
sylvanla would not be the only line af-
fected, end that the Baltimore and Ohio,
and, In fact, every trunk line would be
urcharitable enough to say that the Sea-
board people would like very much to
cause the Pennsylvania to suffer a loss of
revenue, and If it can succeed in disar-
ranging the very carefully adjusted sched-
ule of rates through the south and west it
may be able to hurt the Pennsylvania
against which it has grievance.
Regarding report that the Southern
tariff a basis of 50 per cent reduce lion
to Seaboard competitive points, ignoring
the long and short haul clauses of the in
terstate commerce law, MIR. ST. John die
tated the following statement to his priva tie
secretary, who gave copy to The Star re-
porter:
Il have heard of that rumor, but believe
that the interstate commerce commission
will enforce, in its own way, a law which
demands that no higher rate shall be made
for a shorter than for a longer haul
THE Seaboard will obey this feature of
the law in tariffs to be issued in the future
as in the past So far the association is
concerned, and that means the Southern
railway, for it can control the votes of a
majority. we may be compelled to test its
legality in the courts. as the people may
have to test the constitutionality of certain
consultations, purchasers and leases of
railroads IN Georgia and North Carolina, a
little later on. for it would seem that Eres-
ent conditions cannot much longer con-
tirue.
1.-The present disturbances in rates result
from the Southerns efforts to destroy our
revenues and business, after which The re-
suits likely to follow may be easily imag-
ired. The responsibilities arc theirs, and
the remedy is with them. We shall defend
our property and our rights from an in
tended quiet and subtle attack. from what
ever source 1t may come. with the same
force and spirit that we would an attack
h0l