Kansas City daily journal., 1897-02-07
HELD IN CONTEMPT.
BOARD OF ADMINISTRATIONS Or
DERs VIOLATED BY MAPLE LEAF.
CHAIRMAN MIDGLEY'S REPORT.
WISCONSIN CENTRAL ALSO FALLS
OUT OF LINE.
Western Roads Refuse 10 Make Re-
duced Rafes for the Corbett-
Fitzsimmons FiSht-ChIcaEO
Great Western Reduc-
es Lumber Rates.

~
es Lumber Rates.
Chairman Midgley's circular bearing upon
ne defections in the Western Freight As
iociation is interesting, tending 10 show
he contempt in which the orders of the
,oard are held, especially by the Maple
.eaf. Chairman AIidgIey recites that on
January l6, advice was received from the
500 line that the company proposed TO
put in a proportional west bound tariff on
merchandise from the Atlantic seaboard
via Sault Ste Marie TO Minneapolis and
st. Paul, on the following basis: First
class, 40 cents; second class, "a cents; third
class 26 cents; fourth class, IS cents; fifth
class 16 cents: sixth class, 13 cents. In
connection with this the 500 announced
that the rates from Eastern points to the
500" would be used, which are the same
IS to Chicago on the differentials via the
National Dispatch. In extenuation of such
resolve, which, in the opinion of Chairman
Midgley, was surprising, TO say the least,
there having been no request for a con-
ference with the railroads embraced in this
association" the 500 said that the prev
ious adjustment of rates was prejudical to
the Twir Cities, for which reason an adop-
ton of tie scale of 14O per cent of the New
York to Chicago basis has been conceded
10 St. PTul and Minneapolis.
Mr.. Mdgley calls attention to the fact
that the manager of the 500 had agreed
10 cooperate in every and all efforts to-
upon his being reminded of this promise. a
conference was arranged, after correspond
ence with the Canadian Pacific officials,
and the effectiveness of the tariff was de-
layed for few days.
''Thereipon,' says Chairman Midgley,
''the Chicago Great Western applied to the
board br relief against the 500 lines
rates, AID in so doing remarked: We have
said to )ur patrons we would establish the
same rates via differential lines to Chicago
through to st. Paul. Inasmuch as this
assurance to shippers was in violation of
agreemnt, the application of the Great
Westen was denied by message, but the
party eferred to did not await action by
the bard: in fact. its request for relief
was slperfiuous, because it had already
helpeditself in guaranteeing protection to
Ehippes; also by duplicating the reduced
tariff of the 500 line. At subsequent
cago, the members deemed ii essential the
generl manager of the Chicago Great
Western should represent it at the adj
5ournd meeting, the following day. Ac-
cordllgly, a message was sent him, in
whicl, after referring to the suspension of
the uriff via Sault Ste Marie, it was ex-
plairrd:
n view of your company having
agrcd to meet the 500 line tariffs and
Joi1two Eastern lines in publishing them,
whih violates the new agreement, man.
ages thought you should meet here to-
morrow. and, therefore, requested me TO
urg you TO attend. Right to meet outside
competition was not transferred from the
old TO the new agreement, but sole au-
thGity to change existing conditions eX-
ist. with the board"
Tie outcome of a conference in which
bon the 500 and the Chicago Great West
er: were rpreseuted, was the appointment
Ola committee of traffic officials to as
cetain the probable effects of the tariffs.
Tie committee found it could not COM
Pete its work at once. and as the 500 de-
cared its intention to make its reduced
Irin effective at once, the Wisconsin Gen.
tai, which had heretofore remained in
fftive, decided to adopt the same proper
trnal scale; so that three companies, the
so. Chicago Great Western and the Wis
onsin Central, put the 4O-cent basis in
oeration. At the next conference, the
MY line making an application for relief
Tas the Chicago Great Western, regarding
Thich Chairman Midgley says the board
isTissed the application, as coming from
a company that is in contempt on this
purge itself thereof "
The reductions made by the Soos tariff
ire % cents on first class. 16 cents on sec
mi class. II cents on third class, cents
IN fourth class, 4 cents on fifth class, .
cents on sixth class The average shrink
age is SO 1-3 per cent. The board says
arRumentatively on this subject:
obviously 1t must have been anticipat-
cd I'm endowing this board with discretion
ary and restraining authority, that its
powers would be employed discreetly. The
right in initiate reductions unfortunately
involves in its exercise the ability 10 de-
stroy and we conceive it to be our mission
10 uDbuild and only as a last resort and
under compulsion, to pull down the rate
fabric, the maintenance of which, at
present constructed, means so much to
Western railroads.
THE adoption of a Accent scale from
Chicago would authorize 42 cents from st.
Louis TO st. Paul and the publication of
that basis for distance of 600 miles would
be apt to render impracticable the contin-
uance of 60 cents for less than half the
distance across the state of Missouri, and
a decline in the latter would jeopardize
every rate within the Jurisdiction of this
association and. beyond
We must decline to approve the use OF
the reduced proportional scale referred to-"