The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-03
Steamboat Companies on Upper
Yukon Reduce Fares.
ALREApv PRACTICALLY OVER.
PeronDlosy ORDER - nestsre Rates
sent % 1ksgway ~ Dfseeesrs 81
CsneAsan DeveIsDnent Cs-OtheS
CoaDanfeS AIse 1sase-fassa9e
Yrom Dennett % Dawson - Low
- QS-otarteA ~ .. .. Bailey.

The steamer Humboldt arrived In port
Yesterday morning with the news OF
reckless rate war which has broken CUT
between the steamboat companies operating
on the Upper Ynkon-
The story II perfectly authentic. oSnciai
udyices having been received al the omces
Of several Of the companies interested But
It 10 hard to understand where the benent
from q cut rate could come in 10 any one
Hire when there were upwards Of SOD peo-
pls waiting II Bennett TO 90 to Dawson
by the 1rss boats.
The FIRST move leading UP to the present
trouble was made about three weeks ago
by Capt. g. q. Bailey. OF the Bennett 4 At
lin Lake Company. which owns and In
tends TO operate the steamer 8 3. Bailey
between Bennett and White Horse rapids.
Capt Bailey was not satisfied with the
share of prospective business hts boat was
getting. and cut tie price 10 80 from Ben
1ett 10 Dawson without meals. relying up
On some other boat TO protect his traffic
from White Horse down. The other com
panies were not pleased at this. but felt
that they could afford 10 let Capt. Bailey
take all the business his boat could handle
at that price. Then somebody else made
. cat. This seems TO have caused the To-
cal ofllciaIs OF the Canadian Development
Company at Bennett to iosn their heads
compieteiy--for they cut the rate TO $40
from Bennett to Dawson. Capt. Bailey
thereupon quoted s. rate and intimated
give in.
when the 80 rate was quoted by the Ca
madam Development Company At Lake
Bennett, there was q Wild rush for tickets.
for every one had been expecting to pay
&iOo for the same service. The news was
wired to skagway. and the town prepared
to leave for Dawson. The Canadian De-
with buyers and the sidewalks In front
blocked by them. Two hundred and fifty
tickets have been sold IT the cut rate al
the sailing time Of the Humboldt.
A careful analysis OF the matter seems
30 show. however. that II will not be last
ing. X. I. Elliot. secretary Of the Cana
dian Development Company, arrived in the
city thi& morning and made the following
statement:
THE cut made by the officials OF the
Canadian Development Company at Lake
Bennett was a direct breach OF orders.
Instructions from tho board OF directors,
putting rates back to the former sched.
ulc. have bean dispatched to Skasway In
such peremptory form an will admit OF no
teinDcrtx1ng or disobedisncs. And for the
remainder of the season passengsrs going
BY the Canadian Development Company's
bosts Will pay tho fun tariff rate, as. II
traffic II to be carried at n loss. the di-
ressor: are psrssctiy willing tina, their
object or our business is TO secure 4 profit.
ana II no business offers at profitable
class 81 our soas. and the rn se eas
Of our equipment and aervice as being
such as 10 gain US share OF the trade
In rate. al the Coast axsncis .' DC no cut
Tho rate OF 500 from Bennett to Daw-
son. including meals and berth. has.
Sy which, sas ss in
nine big boats. II the strongest on the
The :, Upper Ss ,. Yus9 ,no Company raised It's
GLIDING meals. The Bennett Lake and
Klcndike Navigation Company followed
suit Yesterday. and raised It's rate on the
news from SIS TO $50 not including meals.
These are the only three companies which
operate boats both above and below White
Horse rapids. or who can sell through
ticket from Puget sound and British CO.
iumbia ports TO Dawson. or from Bennett
TO Dawson, Via the upper river.
Capt. Bailey. for instance, who started
tho trouble. has placed TO tickets on sale
In Seattle lie offers an agreement to
furnish passengers transportation below
White Horse on some boat not specified
In connection with his own beat. He
agrees 10 send a passenger SO miles for
-: and ~ OF these miles must be on an
other mans steamer. for which service the
other man must be paid. presumably out
or Capt Basiey's pocket,
1t does not seem likely that Capt Bailey
or any Of the other owners OF individual
boats Will keep up the cutting business
very long. There are not enough Of shem
TO materially reduce the earnings Of the
three big companies. no matter what rate
they quote. And the three big companies
have determined TO maintain the rate
heretofore quoted.
The rate war may therefore he censid-
cred a. practically over The small CON-
panies cannot, of course. maintain n rate
8ppreetatly lower than that maintained
by their heavier rivals. since they would
thereby DO no harm save 20 themselves
A VERY QUICK TRIP.