The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-16
Passenger Agents See the Begin
ming Of the End.
HEADS OF THE LINES TO MEET.
Presidents and Managers viii Take
the Negotiations Ont of the Hands
of Traffic and Passenger Omerrs
and Eject a Truee - Freight
Rates, which Have Been Shnky.
show q Much stronger Tendency.

sse an end az rate slashsng. of course
railroad men have predicted regularly al
least once week the end Of the rate cut
ting and a resumption OF the normal pass
euger tariffs between coast points ard the
| East and Middle West. Meetings have
besa held innumerahic times. and after
each failure On the part Of the traffic men
OF the various railroads 20 agree, the gen
erai agents at coas; terminals and other
points have come up smiling. so to speak,
with the prediction that after the next
meeting of great minds. the war would end
and peace would be declared.
II is now said in railroad crc.es that
the presidents and general managers of
the several great franscontincntal lines
who have figured in the bitterness and low
rates Of tie past four months have decid-
ed to take the matter Oh; OF the hands OF
the traffic AMI passenger officials. 1t Is
said that II once the presidents ami gem
eral managers get at the matter they will
bring the fight 70 al end In short order.
They Aave the power. IL is asserted, to
cause a cessation OK the hostihties which
have been costing somebody 4 pile OF
money. a So rate from Seattle TO New
York. IL can hardly be expected. would
yield much in the way OF revenue after II
had been divided among the various lines
forming the chain OF rails between the Pa
c.fc and the Atlantic coasts.
Freight rates. which were somewhat
shaky couple of weeks ago. perhaps
under the influence of the decentralization
which reigned In the passenger business.
have somewhat stiffened. This is due.
railroad men say. TO the recent inquiry
held by the interstate commerce commits
sion at Portland in which a rigid inyesti-
cation was made into the charge that the
railroads entering Portland had been guilty
or wholesale cutting OF through freight
rates 10 Eastern terminals
Locally the railroad situation as far as
news OF the progress Of negotiations tend
ing 10 Il cessation 81 the rate war is con-
cerned. has been somewhat vague as 10
ting character Of information received The
first Tangible bit of news Which has been
ia circulation In railroad circles for some
time is the story which a Poss-Intelligen-
Ger reporter picked up yesterday 10 the
effect that the presidents and general man
ayers of the big roads had been called
together for a meet ting in either New York
about settlement OF the differences be
tween the lines. This Is not the first tine
In t3e history OF rate wars that the heads
OF the roads affected have been called upon
10 do something which the traffic men had
failed 10 do.
In connection with this story. which IL
given merely fer what it Is worth, is the
fact that 7. q. SAaughncssy, vice presl-
den; and virtual head of the Canadian Pa
ciac, after coming West on business which
would probably have occupied him seyera!
days. left Victoria suddenly yesterday for
the East. There is excellent authority for
the statement that the Canadian Pacific
vice president has been called East on bus
mess connected with the rate making. and
that he viii represent his road in a meet
ing which, Il is said. is TO be held In New
York within a week.
According To the view OF ore of the dig
nitaries OF Pioneer square the time has
now arrived when II the rate cutting is
to cease and fares are to be restored 10
their normal place, ne presidents and gen
eral managers Of the roads will have 10
get together in conference and take the
fight entirely cut Of the hands OF the traf-
a. officials. Point Is given 10 this view
when & IS remembered that the stockhoid-
crs Of a railroad hold the president and
managing officials responsible when the
dividends indicate failing off in profits.
The tlghI has reached that state. 1t is said.
when K Will be absolutely necessary for
The presidents and their general managers
10 take the issue out of the hands OF men
WAo are paid 10 make rates and 10 handle
traffic matters. Ia order 10 save them
selves from the ceusure Of the stockh3ld-
ers ard directors.
one OF the latest developments in the
rate war is the entry OF the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad into the fight. This line re-
fused 10 participate in the cat IN passen-
ger rates - Washington and other points
IN the East IN It's territory. The war last
ing much longer than waS anticipated the
baltimore ~ Chic has. finally taken !, hand
n the rafe making 70 points reached by ifs
lire. This brings Washington and BaIt.-
more into the district on the Atlantis
coast waicn can lie reached from SETTLE
sor So
'rse rate var is approaching a stage
= her - continue the low rates viii De 70
sacrifice the regular business Of the lines
partc5Tai!ng,' said the general agent Z
ore ot BE roads entering Seattle '-The
western linss have had thIS advantage
STAT thc low rates aaxe induced n graf
'rave3 and 1aye brought thousands Of pep
u!e tnta a res ard .-rowiBi- country i'm
stfe deTe-opFGcn, - ~A.t1 tnc roAs8s aye W
ts.ly Interested ia addition. she law
rates haVe ,edace1 "a sreat deal II mel
&sHtal business "a htth has brought revenue
"a taT'0. For Instance q rrIR in toe Fast
| iFaFntuE that he can travel e .he Pacific
coast foT less money han ever IN his IL
before su33@a3y makes ~ his mind % 50.
/ this rsuGtrN- t3e rom~S hete aud sees
! 51t7 t.s-;ee~S a7a sends Cor his family 0r
ce travels from oUc ar r. 80 another ia the
state paying snr railroads the regular 10
sal -s:tS. He @aS 20 be clothed ard feA
1 vale sc - hs~e. ard the railroads AauI
ne freight % I'm waicA 7e Is supplied The
Incidental business which tho railroads n
49, .~,