Evening star., 1896-07-29
RA FIR DAD MATTERS
Interstate Commerce Commission to Decide
as to the Rate War.
Roads Preparing for Big Shipments
OF Grain - An Important
Meeting Today.

The next move in the war between the
Seaboard Air Lane and the Southern rail-
way companies Will probably be made In
Washington befTe the Interstate COM
merce commission. which will, 1t Is under
stood. be asked to decide what is the prop
or course for the Seaboard to pursue in
view OF the action of Judge Simonton at
Flat Rock. N. c.. as published in The Star
Of yesterday.
According to the terms Of the injunction
issued by that Judge, both roads named
are required to do no rate cutting, but the
Seaboard Is commanded to restore at once
its rates to the figure they occupied at
the time the recent reduction of rates was
made.
According to the rules of the interstate
commerce commission railroad company
must give that body ten days notice of
an intended increase in Its tariff, and it
would seem that under the present state Of
aHa1rs 1t will be impossible for the Sea-
ooaro 10 90 this and at the same time
opey the order of the United States judge.
Ihere is an evident willingness on the
and the Seaboard to respect the orders
OF the court, but the Seaboard people de-
care unhesitatingly that the movement
which led to the Intervention of Judge ST.
scuthern States Freight Associate
Whlch mad become alarmed as to the pos
sible outcome for some of its members of
long continued rate war.
An Important Meeting Today.
An important meeting Of the managers OF
all the railway lines running between St
Louis and Chicago and Baltimore, Philadel-
phia and New York will be held in New
ork today, to discuss matters Of great in
terest to some of the companies The meet
ing was called at the request Of President
Insalls OF the Chesapeake and Ohio and Big
four lines. who for some time past has
been dissatisfied with the amount of freight
potn east and west-bound which has been
going over his roads, and an effort will be
mace TO arrange the question of tonnage,
SO that he will get greater proportion of
traffic carrying.
In addition to the question Of percenta ges,
the meeting will discuss the subject of the
'demorallzation of rates, particularly of
gram, IN the west, and earnest attempts
will be made to bring about an adjustment
of these, so far they affect east-bound
business out of ST. Louis. 1t is stated that
the officials of the Big Four and Chesa-
peake and Ohio roads believe that the fall
Ing Off in their freight traffic has been due
TO the unsatisfactory regulations, and 1t Is
believed that matters will be SO arranged
that they will hereafter receive larger al
lotment.
Baltimore and Ohio officials and those
VI olieT ToduS IN tnlS vicinity are prepaI-
ing for the largest shipments of corn dur
ing the next few weeks that have been
made at any time during the past year.
1t Is stated that the recent reductions in
rates for grain to the east has had the
effect Of bringing out an immense quantity
of that grain.
A prominent railway official, who has
Just returned from trip through Kan
sas and other western states, said that he
found corn piled up in cribs at every sta
ton along the western lines. He also
stated that the growing corn crop in Kan
sas is the most promising in years.
In 1899 the corn IN that state alone
reached the enormous total of 201 ,0OO, 900
bushels This year it is estimated the
crop will reach 36O.OOO,OOO bushels. The
fact that this years crop is assured will
make the farmers less desirous Of holding
en- to old corn.
Mr.. A. j. Fsirhanks, who for almost
fifty years was In the employ of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company and for
the past twenty-five years was agent at
Camden station, Baltimore, has resigned on
account of Ill health.
Some Railroad Changes,
Mr.. c. H. Goodrich, superintendent and
traffic manager Of the North Alabama rail-
road, has been made assistant general
freight agent of the Baltimore and Ohio
Southwestern in place of Mr.. H. Crope,
resigned. Mr.. George Randolph is traffic
marager of the Baltimore and Ohio South
western, and Mr.. Goodrich was general
freight agent of the New England when
the former was in charge of the traffic
of that company.