The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-31
WESTERN PASSENGER AsSOCIA-
TION CHANGES ITSELF INTO AN
IMPORTATION BUREAU.
CALDWELL THE CHAIRMAN"
UNDER THE OLD RE-
CINE.
Measure Offered by Foraker That Is
Practically a Reproduction of
the Patterson Bill.

CHICAGO, March 30.-The passenger
representatives of the Western roads
met today at the Office of the Western
Passenger association for the purpose
of considering the future Of that or
ganization. The meeting lasted the
greater part Of the day and at it's close
it was decided to recommend to the ex-
ecutive officers, who will meet tomor-
row, that the Western Passenger as
ISOLATION be continued in existence, but
that it shall hereafter have nothing
to do with rates or the maintenance Of
rates. 1t was recommended that it
be a bureau of information and Stats
tics only, but that the bureaus which
have the handling of the clergy tickets,
and of the mileage transportation shall
be continued in force. These bureaus
have nothing whatever to do with rates,
and it is not thought that they come
under the scope of the supreme court
decision.
Chairman Caldwell will remain at
the head Of the organization and will
have control of all the subsidiary
bureaus as well. There was some dis
cussion as to the title which he should
have, some of the roads being of the
opinion that Joint agent was the
proper name for the office but it was
finally concluded that he should retain
the name Of chairman. In addition to
remaining at the head of the organiz-
alton, it is expected that Mr.. Caldwell
will be given control of all the work
entailed in procuring from congress
new legislation regarding passenger
matters. The services of nearly all of
the clerks in the association will be
retained, as there will be plenty of work
for them in looking after the mileage
and clergy business. The only thing
that has been taken from the work of
the association, in fact, is that con-
corning rates.
All these matters will be taken up by
the executive officers tomorrow, and
there is not much doubt that they will
be adopted The roads have practically
agreed that for the time being they
will do their utmost to avoid any de-
moralization in rates.
The Western roads have come to the
conclusion that they will be compelled
to abandon the immigrant clearing
house in New York. This was run as
a pooling arrangement, pure and sim
pie, and the supreme court decision
does not leave it a leg to stand upon.
All of the roads regret to part with it,
for it has been run in the most salts
factory manner, and during its exis-
tence one of the most prolific causes Of
demofaliza ton in rates has been done
away with. 1t has paid for itself time
and again in the money it has saved
the roads. 1t will now be abandoned,
however, and, as yet, nothing has been
devised to take it's place.
1t has been decided that the Chicago
Railway association will continue in
effect. This organization has for it's
object the issue Of joint rate sheets.
1t was feared for a time that it would
be compelled to go out Of existence with
the other organizations, but the rail-
way lawyers have determined that
there is nothing in the supreme court
decision that prohibits the issue of joint
rate sheets, and the association will
go on doing business as heretofore.