Evening star., 1896-11-04
Why the B. and O. Will Leave the
Joint Traffic Association.
An IMPORTANT ACTION IMPENDING
Receiver Muray's Ideas as to the
Roads Earning Power.
THE ELECTION A FACTOR

A report has reached Washington. and 1t
co'mes from sources that are generally re-
E/ble and we'll informed, that the Balti-
/lore and Ohio Railway Company has with
drawn. or Is about to do so. from the joint
Traffic Association, with which it has beer,
connected ever since that organization wa.
formed. several years ago.
: 1t Is stated that the reason for this
course on the part Of Receivers Cowen and
Murray is that the latter, who has under
taken as his especial work the develop
ment OF the highest possible earning power
or the company, has found that there are
100 many restrictions in the rules Of the
Joint Traffic Association to enable him to
do justice to those who have their money
invested In the Baltimore and Ohio road
and that If he is to succeed in his self-im-
posed mission. he must be untrammeled in
the matter of making rates, and this HI.
cannot DO SO long as the road is under
the jurisdiction of the association
A high official Of the Baltimore and Ohio
IS authority for the statement that Mr..
Murray has been pursuing a policy Of reci-
prOclty toward the patrons of the road for
lle Eths past. and that he has granted con-
cessions IN various directions whenever 1t
was in his power to do So This policy. IL
is said. has worked we'll.
Great Increase in Traffic.
This showing has been regarded as re-
markable when the well-known fact was
taken into consideration that the energetic
means taken by Mr.. Murray, through his
assistants, has resulted in adding enor-
mcusly to the volume Of traffic carried over
the baltimore and Ohio lines, and the con-
ciIsion has. 1t is said, been reached that
although the business of the Baltimore
ana Ohio has grown so large as to require
the daily turning of almost every wheel
IN the equipment. it cannot be made prop
cry prontable until certain changes as to
the management Of charges are made.
1T Is further said that all that was needed
TO put the Baltimore and Ohio in a position
where 1t could successfully antagonize the
other members Of the Joint Traffic Asso-
ciatlon, which is sure to occur if the Bal
umore and Ohio asserts its independence
was the election of Mr. Mckinley, and this
event having now taken place a feeling of
confidence that business will almost at
once Degln to grow better has already
spread abroad in the land and given those
VINO solicit freight ground upon which to
base the making of contracts.
1T is alleged that strong efforts are being
made by the other members of the Joint
Iraff1c Association to induce the Baltimore
ana ONO to reconsider its determinati ton
to lease the organization, as they are said
to realize that If the company persists in
its Independent policy there is every reason
to believe that the complete collapse Of
the association is but a short distance
away. and ii Is also stated that the offer
has been made to the Baltimore and Ohio
mat II II VIII Keep the fact of its defec-
tion secret it will not be asked to contrib
ute anything toward the expenses neces-
sary to run the association, which are un-
derstood to be enormously heavy.
Effect of Reducing Rates.
A reduction of rates by the Baltimore
and Ohio If the announcement was made
openly would probably precipitate the road
into a corfiict with the Chesapeake and
Ohio, Delaware. Lackawanna and West
ern, Erie, Grand Trunk, Lehigh Valley,
New York Central and Hudson River New
York, Ontario and Western, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia and Reading West Shore and
most of the railroads in New England
and would to a large extent demoralize
trade in New England and the territory
traversed by the roads named, and cast
of ard including Toronto, Suspension
Bridge, Niagara Falls Tonawanda, Black
Rock. Buffalo. East Buffalo. Buffalo June
ton, Dunkirk, Salamanca, Erie. Pittshurg,
Bellaire, Wheeling, Parkersburg and Char
lesion, w. Va. For various reasons war
of this sort is to be dreaded, but it Is said
to be almost certain to come unless the
Baltimore and Ohio recedes from It's pres
ent position CT the Joint Traffic Associa-
ton becon es less arbitrary IN its course
toward that company.
The receivers of the Baltimore and
Ohio are. so to speak, said Baltimore
banker to Star reporter, "on trial to
their ability to make the property a divi-
dend payer and 1t is the disposition of
the security holders to provide them with
all the money necessary to put the road
into first-class order to enable them to
accomplish this: they are also willing to
wait patiently for two or three years to
see If by doing SO they will get a fair re-
turn for their money invested, and the re-
ceivers anxious to demonstrate that
this can be done. This being the case
would not be at all surprised if the Balti-
more and Ohio should at any time admit
what has come to be believed in inside
circles that it has determined to strike out
for itself and get business wherever 1t is
possible to procure it."