The San Francisco call., 1897-04-01
RAIL nOADS JOIN
A NEW BUREAU
Organized to Provide for
Joint Tariffs and
Rates.
Said Not to Be Designed to
Evade the Recent Trans.
Missouri Decision.
Railro cad Officials Heartily Approve
The Foraker Bill Permitting
Pooling.

r CdID1.e o, ILL, pra.-1 os.-3-Iie "
ern Joint Traffic Bureau is to be the name
OF the freight organization which is now
called the Western Freight Association.
The text of the new agreement, which has
been prepared by committee of trunk
llne officers, was submitted to-day to law
| hrs for the lines interested, who will ex-
aaine the document with a view to de-
te-nlDing its legality in the light of the
IrAs- Missouri decision of the Supreme
Cout. If the attorneys find no objection
TO tn agreement on that score it will be
repored to the presidents, general officers
ana faight men connected with the
Westef roads at their meeting to-mor-
row ant no DOUBT adopted.
The aFeement is defined to be for the
purposeS arranging, providing and dis
trlputing joint tariffs and rates and to
make satifactory division of joint rates
between tn companies over whose lines
the JOINT taffie moves and in order to
properly cohply with all laws and State
ommissions, without interference, how
ever. with the individual freedom OF any
line or compay in the making of rates
Tor the handlLg of its own local and
competitive tratc and for the purpose
OF providing tarit statistics and securing
compliance with ae decisions of the In
terstate Com mere, Commission and the
United States cours.
The bureau is t, be under the sunervi.
sion of board of i've commissioners to
be elected by the preidents of the roads
and the present boad of administration
Will constitute the me- board. Members
OF the bureau will be rquired to furnish
The board with such reports of freight
tratlc and copies OF jolt or other rates
as may be required by the board. The
duty OF the board is to distribute this in.
formation among the mel ber, of the bu-
reau. All divisions of join.tnroueh rates
except those between proprietary lines.
are also to be fixed by tn, board. The
board is empowered to call meeting Of
the representatives of the lines as often as
it deems advisable. The agreement SETS
forth: Nothing herein shall b, 90 CON
strued as to establish or otherwise affect
rates on freight traffic, and it shall be the
duty OF the board to so exercise tie power
conferred upon it as to discourage and. so
far as possible, preve mt violation of the
interstate commerce act or any Other Fed
eral law. The board shall cooperate with
the State commissions and courts for these
purposes"
Parties to the agreem ent are required TO
file with the board all tariffs they may is-
sue, the same as required by the Com.
merce Commission. The agreement is !,
be effective tomorrow and to continu.
in force until Decem ber /, 1898, when the
contracts with the mem bers of the pres
ent board expire, and thereafter until
ninety days after written notice of inten
tlon to withdraw therefrom shall have
been given by a membe
The sentiment among railroad officials.
when interviewed to-day on the bill intro
duced by Senator Foraker permitt;no
pooling among the roads, was that such a
measure was sure to avert the ruin of the
roads, and they hoped it would pass
quickly as relief from the present
emergency.