The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-24
RATE AGREEMENT OFF
The Heralded Advance Of Is
Cents Abandoned
~ TaANscoMrIMENTAl ROADS.
Couf1ictfug Interests Of IL Large
Number Of Roads Involved
the Cause.

shippers for two weeks past IL At last
cleared I'd by the authentic announce
Ynent that the proposed advance in trans
continental freight rates IL or No single
item OF Information has caused greater
FURRY In railroad circles since the North
ern Pacific receiyership excitement. AL
the men IN this city connected with the
transconsinental lines had been led to be-
1leve thai an agreement or basis OF rates
had been reached. and they were CORE
sDondingIy jubflanf at what they be-
lseved 10 be good business arrangement
When the reporter made his usual round
Of the railroad Offices yesterday and IN
quired about the new rates. he was told
that they were still expected daily.
But the reporter, who. in common with
many other people. had been sorely puz-
xled at the mysterious delay In sending
out the new rates. determined TO do .it-
tie investigating on his own account. with
the result that In an hour he learned sew
erai important facts. One is that notwith-
Standing the statements given out 10 the
contrary In local offices. the new rates
have been In Seattle for several days,
though the figures were covered by the
strfctest injunctions to secrecy. and Of
course the agents were not 10 blame for
0heying their instructions. As II has
turned out there were good reasons for not
giving out the figures. for kilograms reach
ed Seattle yesterday from the East show
1ng concinsively that the transcontinentai
agreement which had tSen hsraIded with
such a flourish OF trumpets is at an end,
for the present, at any rate.
The mystery that has puzzled all men
Interested in freight matters has been
that while everybody agreed In saying that
the new rates had been agreed upon. no
body could be found who knew anything
definite about them. The committee hav-
ing the matter in charge met several weeks
ago In Milwaukee. After secret session
OF several days most Of the general traffic
managers who had been in attendance left
for their respective homes. This was ex-
planned on the presumption that they had
agreed concerning the essential features
OF tbs new rates. and had left their sub
ordinates to figure out the details OF the
plan. which would OF course have 10 pass
under final revision before II received off,
ctai Endorsement from the roads concern
ed. One traffc man In Seattle went SO far
as TO kindly explain to the reporter Just
how the members of the committee did
their work. and to describe them as they
sat around the table In milwaukee,. each
with table OF rates and pencil in hand,
the chairman at the head Of the table
calling out item after item, and checking
the new rates one by one when voted on
But all the checking. and the calling and
the voting. II seems. have gone for moth
ing The committee met later In Chicago.
where II was stu reported to be making
active progress. though its actual pro-
cecdings were stu kept wonderfully Sc
cret and nothing was sent out through
tne press Then came the semi-defnite an.
noumeement that the new rates had been
nnaiiy agreed upon. to go into effect about
May J.. and still later that the general
odsis OF rates was an advance of % per
cent. on transcontinental shipments Rut
May was fast approaching and common
sense ioia people that IL those rates were
70 20 INTO effect on that date. II was pass
ing strange that agents here were not fur-
nished with the figures. The railroad men
themselves we're puzzled Finally the
hsures carle. though. as already stated
under the strict seal OF secrecy. and Tho
railroad men felt shade more secure
BUT the ticking OF the little electric but
.on yesterday piighted all their hopes. and
tney can now see nothing ahead of them
Tor while but the old order of things
90 not believe for an instant" said a
prominent railroad man. who was willing
10 talk provided his name was moi men.
TONED. that the effort for new and better
rates VIII be given up. All the roads are
sn'eresteu' ana All agree that new rates
are desirable. The obstacle which has
thus far proved insuperabIe les In reeon~
ciihs the conflicting interests OF the large
hummer OF roads Involved These trans
continental freight shipments take In.
you Know. not only our great Western
frufk lines. but all the Central and East
erh roads as well. The complications
which spring up when all these are
drought INTO conference where mutual
concession and universal harmony are alb
sVlutc9y necessary. are such as no one
out railroad man can appreciate.
me chief disturbing element in the
whole matter" he continued. $50 far "a
we out here are concerned. has been the
Keen competition OF the Southern route
and that In turn has grown out OF the
struggle between The Southern Pacific ana
the Panama route.
To give you a practical Illustration Of
how this has worked You recall tho neg
ratc OF A-lo which we bad 10 make on dry
geo0s from New York 10 Seattle whyr
because We had 20 meet the Southern
rates othorwlse san Francisco merchants.
could be selling right here In seattle.
But our western roads have had the
htaNy end OF The log 10 carry. and for a
very simple reason. Take, fer instance
those new rates OF Si0 lis aud $50
that went into effect this winter Those
OF course. were tTgnscantinental rates As
such they cover three great links In trans
periatiohv~thc Eastern lines. from the
ANanuc coast 10 Chicago. the Central
lines. say from Chicago to ST Paul. and
The western lines Now When the r,,ite-
u"a was made, DO you think the Eastern
IHes bore their share OF it, Not much
N"fNf TftAt ~'t tttNAt ~ tfitlSs 10 You mink
part OF u came out OF the lines between
Chicago and 81. Paul. Again, no: they
stii got Their l. or i5is cents. leaving 10
oar roads here the neat nttle haul from,
-. raul 10 the Pacific coast FOR, say "a
cents You can easily see why we are
Interested IN securing real trarscontin-
entail agreement that viii distribute rates
little more cquitabiy among these three.
great hnks III our chain % commerce The
Tact that II has fallen thr0ugh for the
present Is due simply 20 The failure OF the
lSrsc number OF roads concerned to reach
az aErecmert satisfactory TO all Rut II
viii come IN The course ~ time As Tho
commerce OF the Northwest as.veiops i'm
Importance, ogr railroads Will have
greater leverage IN Determining granse>,f,-
tsncrgAl rates AT present the West IL
far more dependent on the East than IL Is
Oh us for most 81 the articles ot trade
from money Oh down the list Ru; th,-rr
VIII Rot always De such an Inequality.
our rapidly growing trade is asserting L.
SER more and more every year The de-
NUA0pment OF our trade with Japan ard
other Oriental iSn3s VIII also help Us 10
occupy more influential position
"RGt What will in my Judgment. helm
Us inore than anything else - the fact that
W. are every year cvcouiag rnorp ar.
more sclf-sastaining. In Other words
this section Of tho country Is ranidfy
learning the advantage OF proiuclak wha;
80 consumes As result our people ara
e.vrrSlfyinw their industries. This aprlfrs