The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-01
RATE-CUTTING ATTEND
ALLIANCE EFFECTED BY NORTH
ERS TRANscoNTTSESTA LINES.
NeIIen's Election the Initial Move in
tcrests-Tramc Managers Hence
forth WIZ he en- the Alert for In
creased Business Rather Than
Fierce Opposition to Competitors.

A truce in the traffic war between the
northern trarsccatinentai lines is about
to be declared. Henceforth. rate cutting
and the immune bic smaller sacrifices
that have been made h agents OF com
Petlng lines 10 obtain particular los OF
business viii be hereafter abolished.
Agents OF lines tributary TO the great
tsnsoontinental highways VIII not be al
lowed commissions on tickets sold 70
points on other lines as heretofore, ard the
general agents Of the Northern Pacific
and Great Northern will not be caught
violating the Interstate commerce act in
the matte- OF rates 10 competitive points.
This is the trend Of sentiment among
railroad men everywhere On the North
Pacific coast. Its existence is due TO the
belief that an alliance OF interests in the
Northern Pacific and the Great Northern
has been effected in which the el.miDa-
ficn of the rate cutting process which has
in the past disintegTated earnings 70 an
enormous cxte a, VIII he brought about.
Since the election Of the new board Of
directors of the Northern Pacific. and
the efforts put forth by ]. p. Morgan and
the Hill interest in the Northern 20 pur-
chase the Chicago Great Western, thus
providing a gateway from St. Paul into
Chicago. railroad men on the Pacific coast
have come to the conclusion that the
alliance Of Interests. o. which so much
has been said heretofore. IS about TO be-
come reality. as between the Northern
Pacific and Great Northern.
Said well-known and well informed
railroad man yesterday:
''The election of c. 5. Mellen as prest-
dent of the Northern Pacific was the first
step taken by the allied powers which
row are in control of the Northern Pa
cific and Great Northern. if not.
indeed. of the Canadian Pa
eific. I refer TO the Morgan syndicate.
composed Of j. p. Morgan. of New York,
and his friends. the Deutsche bank and
the Hill interest The Morgan syndicate
is the largest of these three factors. in
the railroad situation. l do not mean
that Mr.. Morgan stands absolutely the
master of the situation. The Deutscne
bank is well represented and its interests
are well take. @are of. So with the Hin
interest. at the he>1 of which Il James
J. Hill. Mr.. Hill is recognized today as
the foremost railroad operator OF his
time. He is an influence which is recog-
pized everyw here as a factor in railroad
irg.
THE traffic man of the future will be
forced to earn laurels by devising means
for getting new business He will spend
his time and efforts in obtaining new
market for a man who produces some
thing en- the line of his railroad. In
railroad, and cutting rates TO the bone
for business, the traffic man of the next
generation as far as the Northern lines
is concerned, will have to trim his talents
to new lines and To the production OF new
business. and the application of that
which is old.
This Will be one way in which the ef-
feet of the alliance between the North
ern Pacific and the Great Northern VIII
be seen. There will also be an absence
OF acute competition between the north
ern lines at terminal points. Where now
a general agent will quote you several
tons in the future you will be able TO
secure no better deal from the represen-
alive of one railroad than from that Of
another.
This will also be true in the passen-
ger line For some years past the agents
Of lines tributary to the Northern Pacific
and Great Northern have been paid CON-
missions on tickets sold TO points on these
lines This will be done away with.
Altogether, the new arrangement will
do much for the country. and a great
deal for the railroads. The principal adj
vantage - be derived from the country
tributary to the railroads | have named,
will be found in the new lines of business
and production that will be opened up.
Markets Will be found for the products of
the country. and IT'S development will be
stimulated by the efforts that VIII be
put forth by the railroads along this
line"