The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-02-19
A RAILROAD WAR.
Rates Cut Rega rdless of the Cost
of Transporting Passen gers.


OF transporting Passen gers.
What may develop into one of the big
gest rate wars i'm this country's history
has been started between the Western
railroads and the Canadian Pacific, and
1t threatens TO involve not only the East
ern roads, but also all of the transatlan-
tic steamship companies.
Dispute over the Klondike passenger
business was the primary cause of the
trouble, for in the scramble for business
radical reductions were made by all Of
the Western railroads reaching Oregon
points, as well as by their connections.
This was followed yesterday by cut of
more than so per cent in third-class pas
senger rates by the Canadian Pacific, as
well as considerable reductions In freight
rates. q de
Western railroads Immediately met the
rate of their Canadian rival, and called
on all of their agents, as well as the for
eign representatives of the steamship
companies to boycott the Canadian Pacif-
ic. Then the Western railroads urged the
trunk lines to join them in lighting their
foreign rival. alleging that the latter was
their common foe and II would continue
TO demOralZ6 the entire traffic situation
until il was driven to a point where IL
would be helpless and be compelled to
submit. 81
officials of the Joint Traffic Associa-
ton, which is composed of all of the rail-
roads between New York, Chicago and
st. Louis, sent committee to Montreal
yesterday TO confer with the Canadian
Pacific officials TO ascertain whether IL
was not possible TO settle the controversy
before the fight became so fierce that all
were dragged into 1t. thereby resulting in
the loss of millions of dollars.
How severe the conflict is may be judg
ed from the fact that the Western rail-
roads have announced their intention Of
carrying third-class passengers for moth
ing. First and second-class passengers
will be carried in like fashion II the war
is not speedily settled. The Western lines
were compelled to carry immigrant pas
sengers for nothing in order to meet the
rate of the Canadian Pacific between
New York and st. Paul. Minneapolis and
Duluth which was reduced from $3.50 TO
SIS.
OF the original rate the proportion
coming TO the trunk lines between New
York and Chicago was s15 and the re-
mainder fell TO the Western lines. Now.
as the Canadian Pacific reduced it's rate
from New York to st. Paul 10 SIS. that
share of the Western lines-1lJ0.
Western roads are. therefore. money
out of pocket. since it costs something
TO transport the passengers--the amount
being variously estimated at from 81 to
81 for the distance between Chicago and
St Paul.
This explains the extreme anxiety of
the Western railroads that the trunk
lines should help them in their fight with
the Canadian Pacific.
But this is only very small end of the
struggle. The chief conflict is on Pacific
coast and Alaska business and IL a 80
per cent cut should also be made in first
and second class tickets as well as on
freight rates to the Pacific coast there
is no telling where things would end
Considerable reductions have been made
on first-class tickets, and freight rates
are already greatly demoraliZed as re-
suit of the falling out between the Amer
lean and Canadian railroads.
From New York to Seattle the immi-
grant rate by the Canadian Pacific was
So. % before the rate war. Ii is now $50
The rate by the American roads used to
be 1910, they having consented to let the
Canadian road charge g. less as a differ
entail. The Western roads now have met
the $50 rate of the Canadian Pacific
In order to deal the Western lines an
other blow, the Canadian Pacific has re-
duced the first and second class rates
between New York and St. Paul to SIS
and 81. respectively, this being the rate
between New York and Chicago by the
differential roads To meet this rate the
Western railroads will have TO carry first
and second class passengers for nothing.
In circular which was sent out by the
Western railroads yesterday to the agents
OF all Of the railroads fand steamship
gpp I'M all
more tickets over the Canadian Pacific
in other words, boycott the latter COM
pany. Ten per cent commission is allow
ed on all tickets. But the Canadian Pa
cihc had not been sleeping. for some of
the foreign steamship agents cabled back
yesterday 10 the Western lines that after
they had made their lowest cut the Ca
madam Pacific rates offered to the agents
were from 81 to s. lower.