The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-27
RAILROADS CUTTING RATES.
Thought, However, That Associations
Will be Reformed so as to Evadc the
Supreme Court Decision.

Thought, However, That Associations
Will be Reformed so as to Eyadc the
Supreme Court Decision.
Chicago, Ill.,. March 26.-This after
noon at the offices of George =. Peck,
general counsel of the Chicago Milwau
kee and St. Paul, meeting Of the lead
ing roads in the Western Freight As
ISOLATION was held for the purpose of dis
cussing the recent decision of the Su-
'preme court and its probable effect on the
associations under which the western
roads have been working. The confer
ence lasted the entire afternoon and ter
minated in nothing as far as action is
concerned. No formal decision was
reached by the meeting and no announce
ment was made. 1t was agreed, how
ever, with few dissenting voices. that
the decision would have the effect of
doing away with the Western Freight
Association as it is at present organized.
The Western Passenger Association a
greement was not taken up, but the deci-
sion made regarding the Freight Associa
ton is sufficiently sweeping to include
the Passenger Associations Both are
organized on practically the same lines.
1t is likely that formal action will be TAX
en- in few days putting the Western
Freight Association out of existence in
the official sense. In practical sense,
it is dead already. There is no question
but that both the Passenger and Freight
Associations will be in operation within
a short time, but IN n form different
from that in which they have been work
ing lid to the present time
Two more roads withdrew from the
Western Freight Association to-day The
Rock Island and the Sioux City and
Northern being the members to pull
out. The rooms of the association were
practically closed all day and no effort
was made to do anything beyond the
merest routine. Judge James A. Logan.
general solicitor of the Pennsylvania road
said to-day that the Joint Traffic AS
ISOLATION was not necessarily determined
to be illegal by the recent decision of the
Supreme court Senator George +.
Edmunds,' said Judge Logan, ''who has
been the counsel for the Interstate Com
merce Commission in most of it's impor-
tant cases. and is therefore especially
we'll posted, had examined the contract
of the Joint Traffic Association and pro-
nounced it lawful, although he does re-
gard the trust act as applying to rail
roads"
Already the Western roads are begin
ming TO take independent action on rate
matters, though there has not yet been
any official notice of the dissolution Of
any of the traffic organizations.
The Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul
to-day announced an open one way rate
from Chicago to points in Minnesota and
North Dakota, also to points in the Hast
ings and Dakota division and north there
OF.
The Chicago and Great Western cele-
brates it's severance from the Western
Freight Association by applying the
33 1-3 per cent reduction recently made
on shipments from Atlantic Seaboard
points to st. Paul to all business origin
ating east of the Indian and Illinois State
lines. This practically establishes a 40
cent basis, first class from Chicago to
st. Paul