The Saint Paul globe., 1897-01-23
CAN 500 STAND IT?
ALL KINDS OF PRESSURE TO IN
DUCE 1T TO WITHDRAW THE
RATE
PROMISED THE TWIN CITIES.
ST. PAUL JOBBERS WE'RE ANXIOUS
ABOUT 1T yesterday, But
HOPEFUL.
General Manager Underwand Will
Give the Other Roads u Chance
to Be Heard.

Yesterday was rather an anxious day
for the jobbe1s of st. Paul, who had
every reason to expect that the 500
read would put in the rate of $1.05 on
merchandise from New York, on Mon
day as promised. The fact that the
500 has agreed to postpone the rate
until Jan. %, in order to meet the rep
resentatives of Chicago-St. Paul lines
and Eastern lines in conference gave
rise to the fear that the 500 would
ultimately recall it's proposed rate and
cancel it. This fear appeared to have
some grounds, as the jobbers were
Yisibly worried all day long.
E. A. Young, chairman of the Twin
City Transportation committee, which
was largely instrumental in securing
the rate, was in Chicago yesterday, and
local jobbers were sending kilograms
to him every half hour telling him
of the situation, and asking him to
do what he could. The local commit
tee, on hearing that the 500 had post
poned action for three days, immediate
ly went over to Minneapolis and found
General Manager Underwood out Of
the city, and General Freight Agent
Martin as well. The jobbers were much
disappointed. Yet more than one said
to a reporter for the G | o b e that they
believed the 500 would stand by it's
agreements and place the rate in eff
feet.
The 500 officials announced that the
delay was granted as a matter of
courtesy to the other roads, which
asked a conference. The jobbers de-
clare they have confidence in the 500.
The other railroads, of course, say they
have none, and 1t was freely talked
around the offices of competing lines
yesterday afternoon that the 500 had
given out information that the rate
would be Cancelled. No authority could
be found for the assertion, however,
and it was not generally believed.
If the 500 maintains it's independent
stand, it will be in the face of very
powerful antagOniSm. The matter is
Of more Importance to competing lines
and to the trunk lines than appears
upon the surface. The unusual efforts
and threats being made against the 500
are sufficient evidence to show how far
the other roads are willing TO go to
break up the rate before it becomes
effective. Competing lines have threat
ened to Immediately cancel all traffic
relations with the 500 unless the rate
is cancelled. The Western Freight as
sociation prophesies all manner of dire
evils; the Southern Traffic association
threatens to extend the competition
clean down to the Gulf; and finally. all
the roads and the trunk line bulldoZerS
say they will bring an influence to
bear upon the money interests Of Wall
street as a last resort. The Chicago
jObbers are spending unlimited time
and money to break up the rate, which
shows all the more clearly that that
which the Chicago jobbers are trying
to prevent is the very thing that St.
Paul and Minneapolis wants. Else
why should the jobbers and railroads
of Chicago feel such a deep interest
in defeating 1t? If the 500 stands up
against all the threats made against
it and the powerful influence brought
to bear against it, it will be doing
thing the significance of which to st.
Paul interests cannot be calculated.
A conference of the 500 line officials
and representatives of the roads be-
tween Chicago and St. Paul and Min
neapoIis will be held in st. Paul early
next week for the purpose Of consider
ing the rates which the 500 has an
nounced that 1t will put in. General
Manager Underwood, of the Soo was
in Chicago yesterday and arranged for
the conference in Chicago yesterday.
A Chicago dispatch says: 1.-The feel
ing is now general among the Western
lines that the 500 will not put in its
rate. The Western roads may be COM
PEELED to make some concessions to the
500 In order to keep it from putting In
the rates, but this they are prepared
to do"
The Chicago Great Western has ap-
parently not receded from its an
ncunced intention of meeting the 500
rates, all protests Notwithstanding
The Kanawha Dispatch line, which will
operate in connection with the Great
Western, issued it's tariffs yesterday
and copies will reach the city within a
day or two. The fact that the 500 has