The times., 1899-12-01
RAILWAY deal RUMORS
Belief That the Pennsylvania May
Control the B 4 o.
Gossip Regarding the Probable Ell
fects Locally of the Alleged Com
BinatiOn-U nified Terminal FaeiIi-
ties said 10 BE PossiBIe-PrOspeets
OF Changes in Freight Rates.

II is stated byprOmiuant local financial and
business men that nothing in the railway
history of the past decade has approached
in importance TO Washington the rumored
acquisition OF The control Of the Baltimore
and ONO Railway by the Pennsylvania
Railway intsrests. The best information
obtainabIe from New York is strongly coE-
frmstory OF the earlier rumors and al
though there has been no official scinowl-
edgment Of their truth. many familiar with
The affairs Of the tWo railways and the con-
diti0nz in the Eastern railway situation
generally are inclined TO credit them.
Rumor and gossip in this city naturally
hinge on the possibility that radical changes
in the Washington plans OF the two COM
pauies may be the result Of The deal 1t is
said that one Of the chief objects sought
By the Pennsylvania people in acquiring
control Of the Baltimore and Ohio is greater
economy in terminal expenses. This sug-
gests Immediately that the union station
al Washington may be one OF the first re-
suits Of the deal, and further, in this line.
il Is said 10 be rot impossible that both
system viii ultimately enter the city over
one SET OF tracks The immense expense
that would be involved in abolishing grade
crossings on both lines viii, l. is urged,
be likely to have much influence with the
Pennsylvania people in this direction
Il Is not thought 10 be probable that
the deal viii resuE ~ cheaper rates, either
for passenger or freight traffic, between
this city and Northern points. Rather the
other thing is probable a strict Insinten-
snce and even advances IN rates in all di-
rections.
The announcement Of the deal made b.
the New York News Bureau" a Wall
Street publication, Is as follows.
We cau state on excellent authority that the
control Of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad is now
in tie hands Of the Pennsylvania Road and allied
Interests Our information Is that President A
=. Cassztt, Of The PennsyI IFania has Of late pur-
chased blocks of Baltimore and Ohio stock in the
open market which. with the holdings OF j. J.
Hin and his friends, constitute controlling in
ferest The two roads viii be operated under
terms which vill result in large savings 30
both systems. This saving according 70 esti-
mates ot PeuusT lv4ula officials, wlll amount 70
upWard of sIZ.G09.DJ0 year. or over 81 100000
month, and viii d. brought about by 3 lessening
OF competition and a joint use Of terminals and
usckEge.
Directors or the Baltimore and Ohio say
they know OF no change having taken place
In the control OF the company. William
Salomon, chairman OF the executive com
mittee when seen, said: 4 don't know
anything"
II was learned positively that no ques-
t!on involving any change OF control IS now
before the board Of directors Of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad either officially
or unofhcially. President Cassatt OF the
Pennsylvania, was ia New York yesterday
To attend a meeting of the Mercantile Trust
Company OF which he Is director. So
Tar as could be learned be made no state
menJ while IN the city regarding the re-
ports that he had bought control of the
Baltimore and Ohio. The stock OF the COM
pany is in a voting trust This trust does
not expire until March J. 1904. The voting
trustees elect the board OF directors Of the
company, and while they can vote for
whom they please, ia is presumed in inan-
cial quarters that il il became apparent
that It's stock ownership had been trans
ferred they would be likely to elect new
directors TO represent the new stock inter
ests
Il is said that. although there may be
some doubt stiA as 20 an actual change
81 control OF the Baltimore and Ohio, the
certainty Of a strong traffic alliance en-
braclng practically ell the Eastern rail-
ways Is noW beyond doubt
A New York telegram regarding this
allisnce is as follows:
TIE Erie Delaware. Lackauanna and Western,
Ontario and Western, Reading, Lehigh VALLEY,
Arw jersey Central, and tflesapeake and o-lo are
al controlled Ia the interest ~ Ncssrs. Morgan
and Vanderbilt aud there j. 10 danger q disturb
znc6 from these companies.
Rapid strides have been made lu arranging 1e-
tails of tie big traffic deal. which o. aA luteuts
and purposes Is % be pool q most iranelad
ciafscter bot regulated By 4 c0terie of lEanclers
si0t by traflc 1Mclals.
on gauuary ] more than % PEI cent q al the
commodity tariffs win be abolished and Do addi-
t.gn ttere wiI be some significant advances iE
~aHn fir
gesdils,mert ~ the import bus.uess. which viii
uat au end 70 tie disturbance ri international
rates aud prevent steamship companies from de-
Gf01a izlng TIE Tziiroad rates
After Eauuarr the percentage uow carried lis
size several trunk lines Wlu I.s lived up 90 moro
strictly than ever before and all agents and traffic