The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-24
Great Rush of Homeseekers to Pa
cific Coast Points.
LOCAL LINES BIG DAY
FIFTEEN HUNDRED PASSENGERS
GO THROUGH UTAH.
Big Guns Declare Allegiance to Inter
state Commerce Law-No More
Rate-cutting the Agreement
Twenty-Five Lines Represented
Transfer of T. P. Stock-Notes.

Washington, March 23.-The oresl-
dents, general managers and other rep
resentatives of about twenty-five rall-
road companies, comprising almost the
entire trunk line service between Chi
cago and Lake Michigan and the OHIO
and Mississippi rivers and beyond, were
in executive conference throughout the
day with the interstate commerce COM
mission. The result was a verbal as
surance on the part of all the ROADS
represented to maintain uniform tarlfts
through cooperation and the APPOINT
ment of a committee to confer with the
commission tomorrow, looking TO more
definite and specific action for securing
general stability in freight rates. This
committee consists of Paul Morton, wee
president OF the Atchison, Topeka d
Santa Fe; H. G.. Burt, president OF the
Union Pacific; A. .. Bierd, general
traffic manager of the Chicago, NIL
waukee 81 ST. Paul B. +. Vacuum,
vice president of the ST. Louis az san
Francisco; C. G. Warner, vice president
of the Missouri Pacific, and Edward D
Washburn, president OF the Kansas
City, Fort Scott & Memphis.
The committee will meet with the
commission tomorrow at 10 a. m. The
conference closed after being in session
from IL a. m. until tonight and most
of the magnates have returned home
At the conference every road repre-
sented was called on to report its
freight tariff conditions generally,
whether its published rates were being
carefully observed, ana what future
difficulties were anticipated. Each re-
ported absolute maintenance of pup
lfshed schedules, and the reports sum-
married indicated the most thorough
cooperation in the western territory.
,1o4I,,s 70 Al.aiT l- ~
secret rate practices to report, and, on
the contrary, it was brought out that
several reports of secret practices were
found to be groundlesS when the suS-
pected roads had been quietly lnVes-
tigated.
1t was recognized, however, in the
discussion that mutual jealousy and
distrust was somewhat prevalent and
that general confidence must be estao-
lished. Fortunately, in the instances
cited, it was reported that none Of the
other roads had retaliated, as usually
happens, and that every case mentioned
was unfounded. IN view of the enor-
nous volume of traffic now taxing the
carrying capacity of all the roads, the
gentlemen present at the conference
were inclined to feel considerable an
prehension as to the future. when this
volume might diminish, or when the
formidable lake navigation competition
would set in, or other changes arise
which ordinarily might demoralize
freight conditions. One main point of
apprehension was the difference be-
tween the rates on grains and other
products for export and those for do
mestic use, a material difference which
was acknowledged, but as to the ne
cessity of which the railroad officials
differed in their views. No definite &C
ton on this line was taken. however.
The antitrust law, taking away the
legal sanction of any concerted effort
among the roads to maintain rates and
1T the same time requiring the observ-
ance of published rates, was, discussed
and efforts to overcome this obstacle
We're informally mentioned.
The general sentiment as to the re
suits of the conference is that each
road will make a consistent effort to
act fairly with each other and with
respective shippers. The officials ores
ent pledged themselves not to deviate
from their published tariffs and not to
discriminate between the large and
small shippers. At the meeting tomor-
row definite action may be taken look
ing to insuring, as far as possible,
against possible future contingencies
which might precipitate Generalization
-, fae