Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-02
THE RAILROAD RATE WAR.
Interest in the Meeting Today of tn
Southern Association.

Interest In the Meeting Today of the
Southern Association.
The rate war between the roads compos-
ing the Southern States Freight Associa-
ton and the Seaboard Air Line has, as
foreshadowed in The Star Of yesterday,
broken out again, and. unless all signs fail,
the executive board of the former, which
meets today in New York. will make ar
| rangemcnts for long and desperate strug-
gle with its competitor.
Late yesterday afternoon the Seaboard
filed with the interstate commerce commits
sion notice of its return to the 331s per cent
cut IN rates, which was temporarily sus-
pended by Judge Simonton's decision the
| new tariff to take effect September 4. A
dispatch from Portsmouth, Va, quotes
president St John of the Seaboard as say
ing That 1t Is limited that the Southern
states Freight Association is preparing a
tarin ON the basis Of 81 per cent reduc-
tlon TO Seaboard competitive points, ignor-
ing, as Mr.. st. John asserts, the long and
short haul clause of the Interstate com.
merce law.
This state of affairs appears to render 1t
necessary either for the Southern Railway
company to withdraw it's steamship line
between baltimore and Norfolk, which is
tne principal bone of contention, carry out
its threatened cut of so per cent, as au-
thorlZed by the Southern States Freight
Association. or meet the Seaboard's cut.
IL - dH open secret tnat some or the
members of the Southern Association are
strongly opposed to a rate war; especially
at TINS time, when there is a chance to
get large amount of Soutl-bouni freight
ara passenger traffic, but the Southern's
influence is so great that unless It's repre-
sentativas see proper to yield to the argu-
ments of their associates and determine
to not retaliate on the Seaboard there is
10 way to prevent them from doing so.
Extreme Measures Probable.
1t Is believed in certain quarters that the
strong opposition to the so per cent rate
will now be crystallized. but If the Sea-
board carries out its program, as it has de-
clared 1t will. and some court does not in
terfere, the Southern lines will be unable 10
avoid the adoption of extreme measures
There has been much talk that some of
the stockholders of the lines interested
would take steps to prevent the threaten
eu destruction of rates. Some people have
argued That stakeholder has right to
appeal TO court having jurisdiction to
prevent the management of a road from
tranSacting business at a loss when such
loss Is caused by its own action, but since
!uuSe Si1nontOn rendered his decision at
tharleston in the Southern-Seaboard case
there seems to be doubt as to how the
&C urts would view such matter if pro-
ceedinES We're filed.
Commercial as well as railroad ,u,b,r;
ties coEcede that if the rate war is again
started 1t will extend to all southern com
petils points ana Will be most disastrous
In ITS consequences All the eastern points
VIII also be involved. All the steamer con-
nections OF the Southern lines will be af-
1ectcd, and before 1t progresses very far
all the trunk lines and western roads will
De involved. The situation is indeed crit
zeal, and unless something happens to pre-
vent 1t a war which will have sweeping
ana most disastrous consequences will be
IN operation from and after Friday next
Inc oftlcials of the Seaboard have de-
ciared that under no circumstances will
they meet the so per cent which the South
ern Is authorized to make by the Southern
Freight Association, before Judge Simon
ton granted his temporary injunction, and
PRESIDENT Spencer of the Southern is quot
Ell as saying: 1T is impossible to saw
what will follow. Everything depends
probably upon what action the Sea board
Air Line will take. If they again make
wholesale reductions in rates, the other
lines Will no doubt determine at the meet
ing to be held today what can best be done
to conserve the revenues of lines in south
ern territory"
Great interest is felt throughout the
country as to the result of today's meeting
OF the executive board of the Southern AS
ISOLATION In New York, and railroad and
business men generally express the hope
that the war may be brought to an end.