The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-01
EASTERN ROADS COMBINE.
GREAT LINES ENTER INTO COM
MON TRAFFIC SCHEME.
VIII Practically Create Another
Pool, but I'm such Way ~ "a
Avoid Anti-Trust Law--Financiers
ut Head of the Arrangement.

NEW IOhh, NOV. J,--l Inc tiet hAu 1oSo.
Quietly, but surely, there has been built
up by the financial giants who control the
trunk line railroads trafiic deal which Will
be able to get around the law against pools
and yet accomplish all OF the purposes OF
a pool and enable them to secure profitable
rates to all Of the interested companies.
II was the knowledge that this trafhc
deal is about to be put into operation, ana
the fact that the Baltimore g. Ohio was
to he operated In harmony with the Penn
syivania & New York Central interests
that gave rise to the report that the first
named company had been acquired by the
Denials are made that the Baltimore 3
Ohio has been acquired by either OF It's
competitors. but It is understcod that the
MANAGEMENT Of the Baltimors ONO mas
reached an understanding with the finan-
ciers who control the Pennsylvania 4 New
York Central to handle all the traffic Inn
partially, and henceforth not to permit any
rate disturbance to influence them.
The Erie, Delaware 4 Lackawanna, On
tario 4 Western, Reading, Lehigh Valley,
New Jersey Central and Chesapeake 4
Messrs. Morgan ana Vanderbilt, and there
Is no danger OF disturbances from these
companies.
VIII Control All Rates.
Rapid strides have been made in arranE-
ing details OF the big traffic deal, which
of the most ironclad character, but regu-
lated by ,coterie Of financiers not by
traffic officials.
all the commodity tariffs will be abolished.
and In addition there will be some adj
vancee in freight rates. On that date there
will also be a readtustment OF the import
business. which will put an end to the
disturbance Of international rates and pre-
vent steamship companies from demoral-
izing the railroad rates.
After January / the percentages now
lived p to more strictly than ever be-
fore nd all agents and traffic managers
will 10 held to strict account for cutting
rates. These rules apply to west-bound
freight business, and for some time agents
have been working under instructions not
to deviate from the existing tariffs on any
account whatever.
Advance. VIII He Made.
Among the significant advances in rates
on January will be those on sugar ana
coffee. the former OF which constitutes
one OF the largest articles Of freight
shipped out of New York For long time
ability to secure favors from the railroads
In the shape OF commodity rates.
The advances on sugar and coffee will
amount to 20 per cent OF the present rate.
The actual change will consist in raising
the classification of these two articles from
sixth to fifth class making the rate 80 In
stead Of Is cents from New York to Chi
cago.
Ks showing how far the trunk line rail-
roads are already engaged in pooling,
without being disturbed by the authori-
that the grain traffic, coming to Buffalo
and brought to the seaboard by the rail-
roads. has been pooled for some time past
and anthracite coal is pooled by several
companies.
Canal and Lakes Included.
The trunk line railroads control all of
the important lines of steamers on the
Great Lakes and the lake lines In turn
20 nj nd 1oI 1ft1n0
1t Is not generally known that the bulk
OF the west-bound canal and lake bust
ness Is controlled by the lake lines and
that during. the last season 1t has been
impossible for any independent boatman
to cut rates and make anything out OF
the business. The reason of this is that
through rate, the lake lines with whom
he dealt would charge him an exorbitant
amount az the proportion OF the haul at
Many of the boatmen rather than SUBJ
nit to such dictation, leased their boats
to the canal and lake dispatch lines at so
eanai and lake rate was kept u nat to .ne
higher figure than the railroads quoted,
in connection with the largest steamers.
the entire lake traffic. The canal rate
was kept at about IS cents throughout the
season.
traffic and canal and lake traffic under
the domination Of the trunk lines and
with three or four financiers in control
of the entire trunk line situation, the
way Is now clear for regulating all Of
the freight business of the Eastern rail-
roads.
Avoiding Antitrust laws.
The men who have this scheme in hand
foresee possible efforts on the part of the
authorities to make trouble and to charge
them with violating the antitrust law
on the ground of running pool. They
will be prepared for this in more ways
than one. In the first place they will
hold that no traffic association exists
among the trunk lines. and they will de-
fy the authorities to find one. The steps
which have just been taken to destroy
signs of pooling are significant. The COM
mittee of the Joint Traffic Association,
which had In hand the duty of winding
up the affairs of the association after It
was declared to be illegal by the. United
States supreme court, has just taken the
last steps to extinguish the remains of
that organization. Notices were sent out
two days ago that all of the furniture in
the rooms o.. the Joint Traffic Association
would be sold and the lease Of the rooms
which runs until May 1, will be disposed
Of After December 81 all of the employees
H-H