The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-11
SOMEBODY CUT IT
RATE To THE SEABOARD EXPERT
ENCES A SUDDEN
SLUMP.
500 SAYS THE ERIE DID 1T
SAY THE SOO'S TO
BLAME.
10 SAYS THE ERIE DID 1T
hEANTIME THE SCHOOL MA'AMs
Or Amy One Else Who Wants to Go
East Can Profit by the Re-
ductiOm.


The travelling public was kept busy
yesterday trying to fad out what East
ern lines had agreed to~work i'll con-
junction with the Chicago-St. Paul
roads in meeting the round trip rates
of $1,000 to New York, Montreal and
Portland The secret was carefully
guarded. and several Of the lines said
they would not make the announce
ment until today. One line however,
is the Erie. The Erie has authorized
the Chicago lines to apply the $1,000
rate over their lines, and have agreed
to make a fair proportional division Of
the money. This settles the possibility
of the Chicago-St. Paul lines dropping
out of the fight However, without the
aid of the Eastern lines, it is an open
question whether or not the Chicago
st. Paul lines would have pushed the
rate war. 1t would have been very
disastrous warfare for them. The
normal rate from st. Paul and Mime
apolis to New York is 500 for the round
trip, or $40 from Chicago. If the East
ern roads had all refused to join in the
competition against the 500, the Chi
cago-St. Paul lines would have been
compelled to actually pay out money
had they met the rate of the 500 in
dependently. 1t is now assured that
number of Eastern lines will follow the
action of the Erie in cooperating with
the Western lines.
The statement was made yesterday
afternoon that in all probability the
Chicago-St. Paul lines would imme-
diately put in a round trip rate of $25
Do 70 ffol
June IL and Sept. l.
The conditions which exist today in
the matter of eaSt-bound passenger
rates are almost without a parallel.
1t will afford the teachers of the Min
neapolis public schools an opportunity
10 visit the seacoaSt at remarkably low
figures. Hundreds of others will avail
themselves of the opportunity. 1t is
the first time in several years that
the Chicage-St Paul lines have effec-
tUaliy shown their teeth, and this year
the 500 Will have no monopoly. How
ever, General Passenger Agent Gala
way, of the 500, is not a man to be
beaten. He honestly believes himself
to be entitled to a differential under
any rate which may be put in by any
road. 1t would not surprise any one
II the 500 therefore, should drop an
other bomb into the enemies camp
1t is not unlikely either, that the other
lines would meet any rate that might
be made. This looks more possible
now as the Eastern lines have given
evidences Of their intention of follow
ing the game to a finish. The Wis
consin- Central Great Western and
Minneapolis & st. Louis roads are
holding their fire for the time being
but will be heard from at some unex-
pected moment, There is no question
but that the low rates will attract con-
siderable travel. One Chicago line said
yesterday that it had had inquiries for
at least twenty tickets during the day
The situation will become interesting
tonight. At that time there will be
indications Of the actual volume of
business to be moved Some uneXpect-
ed move may be looked for.
1t seems that the 500 road after all,
IS not responsible for the whole trouble
The 500 is made the scape goat for
many sins of which it is not guilty
The Chicago lines often cut up capers,
and then lay it on the 500 when they
get caught. Reports are being cir
culated that the open reductions made
by the Chicago lines do not at all rep
resent the cuts which are being made
Ii is limited that rates are being offer
ed considerably under the $1,000, and
that all the lines are in it.
CHICAGO, June 1O-More trouble
cropped out between the Chicago-St
Paul lines today. AS usual the 500 line
was credited with being the cause of
the decentralization, but the fact re-
mains that when the fight was fairly
on, it made no lower rates than any of
the other roads, and whatever it's rates
may have been, it did not secure the
bulk of the business for which the rates
were cut. Every year the Western
roads have made practice of reducing
rates for school teachers in the North
west, who desire to go to their homes
in the East for the purpose of spending
the long summer vacation. The rate
has usually been over one fare for the
round trip, but the 500 line announced
today that it would make half rate.
This was lower than the other lines
considered iustifiable, but they lost
no time whatever in meeting the 500
line. Reports were soon current, how
ever, that the open reductions did not
begin to represent the concessions that
were being made to capture the bust
ness and the whole. thing soon resolved
itself into a free fight in which every
line doing business between Chicago
and ST, Paul took a hand. They sue
ceededs moreover in keeping the bulk
of the-business away from the 500 line.
It iss possible that further reductions
will be made tomorrow.