The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-19
SOUTHERN ROADS YIELD.
TAE MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION MAX
ING PROGRESS WITH THEN.

-
r, ssident King Yinds Now ALLIES tn the RICH
n,ond, FredericksburE and Potomac ana the
Norfolk and Western NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. for
Noduced Ratos from Now England next.
Tho work Of tho Merchants Association In
getting various railroads In the country which
have been holding out against 1t into line has
boon meeting with remarkable success during
tho past week, and IL Is now believed that tho
Southeastern Association will soon make linn
itoi concessions 20 tho merchants in their torri-
tory. 1t is not expected that the association
will grant tho demands Of the Merchants
Association in .ull, but IL they yield at all
Il will DO a great victory. Tho associa-
ton has twice declined to do anything in
tho why OF reduced rates, and its present
favorable position is due to tho porsistsncy of
President William +. King OF the Merchants
Association. who kept at tho railroad men until
they finally invited him to present his scheme
personally ut the annual meeting of the associa-
tion. hold on Tuesday at Old Point Comfort.
Mr.. King left New York on Monday NIGHT and
got back yesterday. Here is a part OF what he
had TO say about his trip:
ct have just returned from Fortress Monroe.
where / have not only had an interesting meet
ing with tho representatives of the Southeast
ern Passenger Association, but also had a very
cordial welcome. / stated tho case as fully Us
possible. A great many questions arose In re-
gard to what j thought would be the future Of
O reduction of rates or the making Of special
rates to trade centres. / stated cmphatically
that every trade centre in the United States
should DO recognized, and that all should be put
upon the same footing, leaving it optional With
tho merchants along the lines of different roads
TO visit any trade section they saw ft. In the
past there has been a great deal Of d~iscrimine-
ton against trade centres. New York has got
tired OF being Disseminated against. The great
question of the Southeastern Passenger Asso-
citation was discrimination against the
ordinary traveller In favor OF the merchant.
These roads, however, have on salo over diff.
ferent lines o~ne-faro round-trip tickets to the
gateways of the Joint Traaic and Trunk Limo
associations, good for fifteen days. Thoy do
not believe in the certificate plan. l made an
application that they should put on sale tickets
to the gateways of tho Joint Traffic and Trunk
Line associations good for thirty days from
date of sale. This application was taken under
consideration and discussed all the afternoon.
No official results had been arrived at on my
leaving. was informed that there would be a
consultation with some Of the leading roads in
regard to this matter. and we would DO advised
OF the result OF IL in a day or two.
TT Richmond. Fredericksburg and Potomac
Railrosd Company will place on sale tickets to
plan adopted by the Joint Traffic and Trunk
Line associations, from Sept. ! to 4, inclusive,
anu SeDt. ~ 10 Ii, lnCIuSiNt, IL tiChGlN DclllB
good for thirty days from date Of sale; and tho
Norfolk and Western Railway Company. will
also place on sale tickets between those dates
from all points touched by the road direct to
New York, making connection with the trunk
lines at Hagerstown and Washington. These
are the dates on which the trunk line excur-
sions will be run. This much has been accom-
plished.
1.-THE Seaboard Air Line will do anything in
its power that Is reasonable for New York in
the way of selling tickets in connection with the
Old Dominion Steamship Company at Ports
mouth. These two lines are allied friends Of the
merchants Of New York, and we now have two
moro in tho two roads above mentioned. The
other roads have on sale excursion tickets at
DAYS. The boat leaving for New
York last night was loaded with these mer-
chants"
Mr.. King left for Boston last night to do what
he could to get a reduced rate for merchants
and buyers living in the territory covered by
the New England Passenger Association. The
New England roads have declined to make any
definite answer to the Merchants Associations
request for a reduced rate, but 1t is thought that
they will come around.
The local membership OF tho Merchants Asso-
citation continues to grow daily. Among yester-
days applications were the following: The
Metropolitan Street Railway Company. the
Southern Pacific Company. Blair & Co..
Redmond. Kerr s. Co.; Barnes Bros. Max
water Oil Company. the Latin & Rand Pow:
der Company, Hartley s. Graham, and the Hotel
Bristol.
A canvass Of the visiting merchants who
dropped around at the rooms Of the Merchants
Association yesterday resulted in q number of
encouraging statements in regard to business
prospects in various parts OF the country.