The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-01
CLEVER EVASION PLANNED.
Financiers Who Control Great Rail
road Interests Have Perfected
Gigantic Traffic Deal

New York, Dec. 1.-The Herald says:
Quietly but surely there has been built
up by the financial giants who control
the trunk line railroads a traffic deal
which viii 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.
1t was the knowledge that this traffic
deal is about to be put into operation,
and the fact that the Baltimore & Ohio
was to be operated in harmony with
Pennsylvania and New York Central
interests, that gave rise to the report
that the first named company had been
acquired by the Pennsylvania railroad.
Denials are made that the Baltimore
& Ohio has been acquired by either of
its competitors, but 1t is understood
that the mana cement of the Baltimore
& Ohio has reached an understanding
with the f1nanciers who control the
Pennsylvania and Central to handle all
traffic impartially, and henceforth not
to permit any rate disturbances to in
fuence them.
The Erie, Delaware. Lackawanna and
Western, Ontario and Western, Read
ing, Lehigh Valley, New Jersey Central
and Chesapeake and Ohio are all con-
trOlled in the interest of Nessrs. Nor
gan and Vanderbilt and there is no
danger of disturbance from these COM
panieS.
Rapid strides have been made in ar
ranging details of the big traffic deal,
which to all 1ntentS and purposes is to
be pool of the most ironclad charac-
ter, but regulated by a coterie of fnan-
ciers, not by traffic officials.
On January l, more than 80 per cent
of all of the commodity tariffs will be
abolished. and in addition there will be
some significant advances in freight
rates On that date there will also be
a readjustment of the import business
which will put an end to the disturb
ance of international rates and prevent
steamship companies from demOralizing
the railroad rates.
After January /. the-percentages now
carried by the several trunk lines will
be lived up to more strictly than ever
before and all agents and traffic man
ayers Will be held to strict account for
cutting rates. These rules apply to
WeStbOund freight business and for
under instructions not to deViate from
the existing tariffs on any account
whatever.
Among the significant advances in
rates on January 1, will be those on
sugar and coffee, the former of which
constitutes one of the largest articles
of freight shipped out of New York.
For a long time the sugar men have
been credited with ability to secure
faVOrs from the railroads in the shape
of commodity rates.
The advances on sugar and coffee
viii amount to 20 per cent of the pres
ent rate. The actual change will con-
sist in raising the classification of these
two articles from sixth to fifth class
making the rate 80 instead of % cents
from New York to Chicago.
The new arrangement applies chiefly
to westbOund business. EastbOund
traffic can not be controlled so easily,
since the initial lines are in the west
and they some times make concessions
to shippers. 1t is said, however. that
the scheme cOntemplates the bringing
of all kinds of business both eastbound
and westbOund, passenger as we'll as
freight, under the same strict control.