The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-06-25
WILL Be No RATE WAR.
koads Are Not Anyious for tbc
Frisco Business.
HE KATE IS NOW AT A MINIMUM.
some OF the General Officials, of III,
Katy i'm the City-Notcs
ana Personals.

Tho Pest few days ago reprinted an In
tcrview published In the st. Louis Globe
democrat in which general passenger
agent" whose name is not given, prophe-
sizes that rate war will result from the
christian Endeavor business to the coast.
Far from being the expression OF Il gem
eral passenger agent. or any other passen-
ger man. the article appears to be the
full-grown dream OF some ambitious rail-
road reporter in St. Louis. How rate
war Will result is hard to imagine The
rate is now cheaper than il has even been.
From Houston to san Francisco a rate OF
S2-,oO has been given, with a pledge that
the same rate will be allowed Tor ticket
TO return. No road going west viii cut
this rate. In fact no road can do so. unless
1t desires 10 haul the people for the sake
Of showing them the scenery en- route and
to be able to say they had a large crowd.
The division OF the rate OF So so is all in
favor of the Southern Pacific. 1t matters
not by what route the traveller goes into
Frisco. the Southern Pacific has a cinch on
u haul to the terminal because throughout
the State OF California les the Sunset route.
or rather the Huntington system. Roads
east OF Frisco which connect with the
Huntington system will not cut IA rate aud
he content with 4 very small proportion of
the rate. Huutingtons road win demand
a certain proportion Of the rate now fixed,
and IT'S proportion will he the lions share,
Should any road. for the sake OF hauling
passengers, cut below the rate fixed, the
southern Pacific will sim remand the same
figures as on the full rate fixed. aud the
cutting road will be the user, not only as
to its proportion, but AS 10 the expense OF
hauling the people.
There Is no money in the business rs It
is, The rate of $22,50 from Houston 10
Frisco is about ae low as one would want
ii, and 20 look for something lower is 10
ask for something for nothing. a day or
two ago general passenger agent OF n
Western road was In a town Of North
Texas and was approached by a native.
who asked the rate to Frisco on account
OF the Endoavor convention. He was told,
but the general passenger agent did not
appear TO be very anxious 10 talk business
with him.
Don't you want to figure with me on
this business ?" asked the native.
"Oh, III talk business with you abou.
It, but have no figuring to do. The rate
has been fixed, and II You want to so over
our line we Will sell yoG1. ticket, but do
not propose to waste any time durlng such
I'd hot weather trying to induce You TO
"a over our line on a rate like that We
have made ,he rate and We are willing to
stay by It, but us far az .pduccmonts are
concerned We have none g. offer, You can
go any way you want 10. and stay at home
If you do not want TO pay what 1t costs, s.
was the reply of tho general passenger
agent
The fact of the matter Is the railroads
are not falling over each other looking for
this business In addition to the expense
necessary to operating the trains TO carry
the people West, there is an expense o,
advertising which makes the rate very I'M
profitable to them. There Is no probability
Of Il rate war. II they get business ON the
Frisco rate they vii! take it. IL they don't
they will let II go. The only reduction in
rates is a small one for intermediate points,
Denver, etc. to be consistent with the
cheap rate to Frisco and TO defeat the
One fellow had the nerve to ask city
ticket agent day or tvvo ago II there will
be a s..oaper rate 10 Frisco. The agent
asked him II he wanted pass.