New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-20
A FIERCE RATE WAR ON.
AMERICAN LINES FIGHTING THE CANA
DIAN PACIFIC.

co TO MONTREAL TO DISCUSS
THE SITUATION - HISTORY
OF THE TROUBLE.
A fierce rate war between the Canadian "a
cifc and the American trunk lines to the Pac'nc
Coas: has fairly begun. Speculation as 10 It's
end causes the shareholders OF the lines TO the
Pacific Coast on this side OF the Canadian oouh-
Diary to say harsh things about the avaricious
and grasping propensities OF the Willy Canucks'
The latter have been playing fast and loose
with the American managers OF the western
lines. The agents of the Northern Pacihc'
Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Chicago. Rock
Island ard Pacific the Missouri Pacific and the
Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroads nave
been sorely beset by the efforts OF the Canadian
Pacific MANAGEMENT TO divert passenger ana
freight traffic TO the subsidized pet Of the Do
minion Government
The Canadian Pacific was built by the Ca
madam Government. and subsidized by both the
Canadian and Imperial governments as mill
tary highway. Almost from It's compie'loh' the
Canadian Pacific has been a thorn in the side
OF American railways. owing to its constant
clamor for diferental rates and It's desire 10 cut
the established rates to the Pacific Coast. WIN
In the last few months organized ana deter
mined effort has been made by it both at home
foreign immigration from American seapor's.
As to how well IT has succeeded the agents Oh
the steamship lines to this port can give DEFINITE
information.
SIDED WITH THE AMERICANS
so,sra, ;ronortant meetings were held In this
city yesterday between the Western passenger
agents and the agents Of important steamship
limos 70 this port The agents of the steamship
lines unhesitatingy sided with the American rep
resentatives and agreed TO aid them in the oa'us
for existence. The Western passenger agents
who were in this city, and who attenoeo 'he
meetings yesterday. were the following D. ~
Caldwell chairman Of the Western Passenger
Association: c. S Fee. general passenger agent
Northern Pacific Railway; w. F. Whte' pas
senger traffic manager Atchson topeka anu
Santa re Railway: John Sebastian. general pas
senger agent Chicago. Rock Island and Pacinc
Railway; Ii. c. Townsend Missouri PACING
Railway. and p. s. Eusts. general passenger
agent Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad
In the afternoon a meeting was held with the
representatives OF the lines running out OF New
York to the west and North. The situation was
thoroughly discussed. and al times the debate
among the representatives Of the various lines
was extremely lively. The result OF the meet
ing was that D. l. Roberts. general passenger
agent Of the Erie Railroad: George H. Danlels'
general passenger akent OF the New-IorK Cen
trail and Hudson River Railroad. and T. u
Mccormick passenger traffic manager or the
Cleveland Cincinnati Chicago and ST. Louis
Railway were appointed by Commissioner
Farmer Of the Trunk Line Association as a
committee to so 10 Montreal TO discuss with
the officials Of the Canadian Pacific Railway the
decentralization in passenger rates on North
Pacific Coast transcontinental business
&c Inn hut
cheerful for the American lines The intense
6ssira ~ both the Dominion and the Imperial
Governments to open up the Northwest and
Pacific coast territory and to induce immgra-
ton to that section. together with the desire OF
TENS Of thousands 70 reach The K!opdfhe gold
fields. has evidently caused the directors or the
Canadian line to take this step for the purpose
of demoralizing their American rivals The Ca
madam Pacific enjoys many privileges unoer
the bonding system through which the Canadian
lines receive their largest revenue. An effort
will be made by the shareholders In the Ameri-
can lines to have the bonding privilege our
tailed or dispensed with altogether as this
latest attack upon their revenues is looked upon
"a an invasion that is violent In its measures
and demoralizing in its tendencies
SYNOPSIS OF THE SITUATION.
The following is a synopsis Of the situation
made by one OF the conferrees yesterday:
Several years ago. the Canadian Pacific de-
nanded Of the American railway lines a differ
entail or lower rate OF fare San Francisco
traffic on account OF what they claimed 10 be the
disabilities Of their line. This was prior to the
completion OF their through line from ocean 10
ocean The Canadian Pacifc's connection at
that time was by boat across the great lakes
to Port Arthur and through the Manitoba or
Great Northern Railway from st. Paul TO Win
npeg There was then through car service
from the East; boat connections only twice a
week from Vancouver, their western terminus.
TO Seattle and lower Puget Sound points; no
connection with San Francisco except by ocean
from Vancouver. No demand was made for
Gifferenttals 10 North Pacific Coast points, but
rates from the East 10 California and the North
Pacific Coast, being practically the same as the
diferental rate necessarily applied 10 Port
land Tacoma Seattle and intermediate points,
the effect being to give the Canadian PACING
lower rates to that territory as well. There
were several other transcontinental lines physi
cally in little If any better position TO compete
for this California traffic than the Canadian
Pacific Railway, but in order to avoid the COM
pletc decentralization Of rates and revenues OF the
American lines which the action Of the Cana
dian Pacific at that time threatened, and in
consideration Of the then existing disabilities
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