The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-10
RAILROAD NEWS.
Pullmans Forced to Reduce
Berth Rates.
Action Is Compelled by the
Great Northern Road.
AVERAGE S1.5O EACH,
Per Berth, While StateroOm
Prices Will Fall
About S4-NeW Rates Apply to
the West.

Chicago, April 10-After several years
agitation PuIlrnan's Palace Car COM
pany has decided to reduce its sleeping
car rates. The cut, which will go into
effect next Saturday, is not a heavy
one, and the corporations action is not
a voluntary one, but was forced by the
Great Northern road. which operates
its own sleepers and which recently
cut off $50 from the charges between
St Paul and the Pacific coast. The con-
tracts of PuIlman's company with the
railroads over which its cars are run
specify that the sleeping car rates of
these lines must be no higher than
those in effect on competing roads The
= competitor of HilPS road is the North
ern Pacific, which uses Pullman's cars
AS soon as the Northern Pacifc's COM
petitor announced its cut in berth fares
the former called upon the Pullman
people to haul down their charges, and
today the Chicago corporation notified
the Northern Pacific that its sleeping
car rates would be cut to the basis of
its competitor.
In addition to this Pullman's company
gave notice of a general reduction in
through berth rates from all of the
principal eastern cities of the west.
The slash in berth charges will aver
age 81. so per berth and staterOOm prices
will go down about 81. The new rates
will apply to all cars operated between
Chicago and Portland Ore; Oakland
and Los Angeles. Cal, and between ST.
Louis, St. Paul, Omaha, Kansas City.
Denver, Ogden, New Orleans and Fort
Worth, Tex, and the same Pacific coast
cities. The tumble in charges will also
be felt in the east, the rates from New
York city to New Orleans, Atlanta,
Memphis and Chattanooga being cut
uniformly $50 per berth.
At present the Pullman berth rate
from Chicago to Portland, Ore. and
Oakland and Los Angeles, Cal, is $3.50.
This will be reduced to $14- Staterooms
will go down to $3.50 and drawing
rooms to S53. Corresponding reductions
will be made from all Mississippi and
Missouri river points. Between New
York and New Orleans the charge Will
be dropped to IS, to Atlanta to s.. so,
to Memphis to 81 and to Chattanooga
the rate will go down to $13, and from
the Missouri river points the charge
will be $11-50 after next Saturday.
Chicago railroad men are elated over
the forced action of Pullman's company,
1t being the general opinion that the
fight for lower sleeping-car rates has
just started and that before it ends the
Pullman people will be compelled to
make further and more radical reduc-
tons not only for long rides, but for
the short runs. A ma ority of the rail-
road officers are opposed to the present
arbitrary schedule of berth rates and
many of them have been working for
years to have them lowered, but up to
date all attempts to influence the sleep
ing car company to reduce have failed.
Anti-sleeping car legislation is in the
air and it is not confined TO the western
granger states, for a law has just been
introduced in the Pennsylvania IegisIa-
ture providing for a reduction not only
in sleeping car fares, but in the rates
of parlor and chair cars It is the gen
eraI opinion that the present move Of
much by the threatened legislation as
by competition.