The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-12
RATE DECENTRALIZATION
SOLICITING FREIGHT AGENTS Al
LOWED TOO MUCH SCOPE.
The Clover Leaf Agrees to Maintain
East-BOund Rates-New Equipment
Ordered Since January.

zone of the troubles in maintaining rates
at this point" said a local freight official
yesterday, lies in the fact that there are
too many fast freight line solicitors who
seem to. be governed only by their own
ideas as to the naming of rates, and this
is doing more than any one thing TO create
the present unsteadiness" He then cited
case with one of the local roads. The
agent of one of the lines was offered some
freight and the agent named the rate on it,;
he supposed the deal was closed, when the
agent Of another line which sends freight
over the same road learned that such
freight was to be shipped and started in to
get it, naming a lower rate than the first
agent had offered, and of course secured
the business such cases. said the freight
official, ARE occurring daily. The ground
take is that on the Big -Four, the Cincin-
natl Hamilton & Dayton or any other road
over which more than one fast freight
line operates, there should be one official
who could be reported to in such cases as
the one named, and not allow the fast
freight line agent who lost the business
and was displeased to further demoraIize
rates by making public what a competing
agent had done to get the shipment. do
not wish to see any man lose his position,
but would like to see matters so Systema-
tized that representatives of fast freight
lines working over the same road would
not be cutting rates on each other.
, The Pennsylvania Inspection.
Early yesterday morning President
Thomson, the directors and other officers
of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company left
Philadelphia for the annual inspection of
the property of this vast system. This is
the first trip the directors have made for
two years, as owing to President Robertss
illness last year it was postponed. The
route taken is also somewhat different, as
the party goes direct to Erie on the out
ward trip instead of stopping there when
homeward bound.
The party consists of twenty-five, and
the arrangements for their comfort will be
in charge of John M. Harding, who for
many years was President Robertss pri-
waite secretary, and was always one of the
party. Daniel S. Newhall, assistant secre-
tary, has had charge heretofore, but on
account of illness he is prevented from
acting in that capacity on this trip.
The party left a special train of Pull
man and private cars at 1880 o'clock Mon
day morning and went direct to Erie,
where it arrived at 7:SO in the evening.
To-day tour of the Erie docks will be
made, and later the Lake Shore 81 Michi-
gan Southern road Will be used to CleVe-
land. ON Oct. 13 the party will go to Chi
cago over the Lake Shore road. touching
at Toledo and Mansfield Oct IA will be
spent in Chicago, and at o'clock the train
will be taken Tor St. Joseph, where it will
arrive at $3.50 o'clock in the evening The
officers and directors will sleep in the cars,
and at 10 O'Clock a run will be made to
Terre Haute over the Michigan division of
the Vandalia. Receiver Malott will join
the party at Chicago, which place will be
reached at O'Clock in the afternoon. They
Will remain there until 8 o'clock the next
morning, when the trip to st. Louis will
be made, reaching that place at 1870 o clock
IN the afternoon. The remainder of the
day and part of Sunday will be spent there
At o'clock on the afternoon of Oct. II
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy road
will be taken to Keokuk where the party
will arrive at IL o clock that night. On Mon
day of the second week, the return trip
having been begun, Indianapolis will be
visited, and on the following day Column
bus will be reached. The night will be
spent there, and at $50 o'clock the next
day the run to Pittsburg will be made
this city being reached at o'clock in the
evening. On Oct. Il the inspection party
Will leave for Altoona, and on the next day
the party will leave for this city by the
way of Lewistown Junction, Selin's Grove
Junction and Pennsylvania q Schuylkin
Valley Railroad, arriving there at $3.50
o'clock in the afternoon.