The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-17

days. He says he will keep it in effect,
and we believe he will do it."
do you anticipate that this will
make competition?
I'VE will not cross a bridge before
we come to it. We are not counting
upon competition, for we are satisfied
with the very generous concession CIV
en- by the 500. 1 believe that this ac-
tion Of the 500 Is the most important
event which has taken place among
the jobbers Of st. Paul and Minneapo-
lis for ten years."
The cut in rates will allow jobbers
of this territory to extend their trade
and open up new fields. 1t Is Of the
utmost Importance. Two years ago
or less the trunk line showed it's teeth
to Minnesota interests. The association
raised the tariffs on every possible COM
modify, added restriction after restric-
tion and finally drove the jobbers of
the Northwest to action. 1t remains
to be seen whether or not such an as
ISOLATION Of conspirators as the trunk
line managers can control the COM
merce Of the whole Northwest.
The 500 says not, and steps out as the
Twin Cities David.
This new basis, added to the great
stimulus In trade which the new lake
and canal scheme will have on traffic
will boom the jobbing interests of St
Paul and Minneapolis. The Trunk
Line association will now have two
great enemies to fight, the 500 and
Erastus Wiman's canal and lake fleet
Between the latter two the Trunk Line
association will very likely feel pinched
A leading wholesaler in discussing
the proposed cut last evening said that
1t would undoubtedly mean a saving
OF several hundred thousand dollars in
freight bills during the next two or
three months.
Il do not anticipate that the rate
will be operative after navigation
opens" said the jobber. THE 500 will
then have competition from the lake
transportation companies and [ would
not be surprised If the lake and rail
rate during the summer would drop
as low as rs cents The 500 has always
enjoyed differential of 10 cents un-
der the rate via Chicago. The Soos
d1fferential rate was, therefore, $125,
which makes a saving of twenty cents
ON first class freight under the pro-
posed new rate But nowadays most
of the dry goods supplies come under
third class. That includes cotton piece
goods etc. The difference in rates will
mean a big saving But at
amount of dry goods moving 1t will
be big help though to the wholesale
grocers, hardware, drugs etc.
prominent railroad official, who de-
Clined to allow his name to be used
but who is thoroughly acquainted with
the situation and the trunk line policy
said he doubted very much if the
Trunk Line association would pay any
attention to the cut made by the 500
L base my judgment on a number Of
similar cases which have arisen during
the past few weeks. One of the cases
was that of the Baltimore & Ohio
winch road secured an enormous per-
centage of traffic and took thousands
Of dollars away from competing roads,
Another road probably took 81 per cent
OF traffic from Chicago to the East
cutting the Lake Shore and the Michi-
gan Central trade to a small margin,
but the Trunk Line association took no
heed of 1T. 1t is my opinion that if the
rate of the 500 is cut the Central
Traffic association roads and the mem
bers of the Western Freight associa-
t1on will have to stand the shrinkage
The trunk line managers will not con-
sent to q reduction of their proportion.
L expect that the 500 will secure an
enormous business for the coming two
CT three months, and it will be a splen-
did thing for the Twin Cities.
L do not think that the reduction is
anything very sensational. The 500
makes a reduction every year, but
perhaps not so defiantly. They will get
the best of it for a while at least.
Their cars will go East loaded with
flour and grain and will return loaded
with merchandise. 1 think the jobbers
Of ST. Paul would fare better if they
would stand by their agreements with
certain road, and nearly all of the big
concerns pledged themselves to stand
by the road. But one man broke away,
then another, and then another, until
the whole thing dropped through
DO you think the formation Of the
Lake and Canal association had any
influences on the Soo's action?"
None whatever. That concern is
not in operation yet, although l will
tell you frankly, it will be on deck
when the time comes. Speaking of the
canal route, know it to be a fact that
the company has already awarded con-
tracts for 50 new boats 1t will re-
duce both east and westbound rates.
Every cent you take off the tariff on
wheat and flour to the East will in
crease the price of grain that much in
the West. The canal route will give
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