Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-06
ALL WILL SOON Be SERENE
Announcement that 0hicago.st Paul Roads
Will Join Passenger Association.
PASSENGER RATES WILL THEN BE FIRM
Lines Expected to Join by August Fl
when Meeting to Filicitate
Event md Transact BUSH
ness VIII lie Held.

From inside sources, Re said the general
passenger agent of one of the Omaha roads,
81 have learned that the Chicago Great
Western, Wisconsin Central and Minneapolis
e. st. Louis roads will very soon Join the
Western Passenger association, and by so
doing will bring into the association every
line Of any consequence operating in the
west and northwest"
Information to this effect has been awaited
by railroad men here. especially officials OF
the Burlington, Northwestern and Milwau-
kee, for some time and the announcement
now made that the desired end is soon to be
reached is indeed gratifying. Passenger
circles throughout the west have been per-
turbed ever since the organization OF the
association because OF the failure OF a few
roads to enter into an agreement. One by
one all Of the Zines have Joined, until only
these three remained out, and great pressure
has been brought to bear upon them. AS
long as they have been out OF the associa-
tion there has been a feeling OF unrest and
uncertainty among the roads belonging
to the association whose lines operated in
the same territory covered by these roads.
Rates between Chicago, st. Paul and the
northwest were especially unstable, and
there was but little question that cutting
and slashing was going on among the lines
having no agreement. OF course, the roads
IN the association had no recourse except to
use every endeavor to win the consent OF
the officers OF the outside lines to join the
combine, and there is no doubt that success
has at last crowned their efforts. The three
lines above mentioned-the Chicago Great
Western, Wisconsin Central and Minneapolis
& st. Louis-were at first treated with some
contempt by the older roads, and the i'm
preston was created that they we're consid-
cred as weak lines. They demonstrated the
fact, however, that by lowering the rates
they could get and, apparently, satisfactorily
handle the business. Then there was a
change of tactics, and not until this change
was brought about and the roads treated with
the same courtesy as the old established lines
was there any indication OF drawing the lines
into a satisfactory agreement.
In speaking of the situation a focal passen-
ger man stated that transmissouri business
was not especially affected. except that the
Milwaukee and Burlington
were losing considerable business to the
northwest, which could be handled over their
st. Paul lines, but was going over the other
roads. where the lower rates were in effect.
1t is also charged that these roads have been
dealing with the ~scalpers and have democrat
ized eastern passenger rates by stocking up
the eastern brokers with the return portions
of tourist tickets, thereby realizing on the
traffic from the east between Chicago and st.
Paul.
To obyiate these conditions as they have
existed It Is understood that the passenger
association proposed an equitable remedy
by conceding to the weaker lines, which
had been doing the cutting, a differential, or,
II preferable, a percentage Of the business or
The older lines. as compensation for main
tanning rates.
The authorized statement that these
lines intend to unite with their COMPETE
tors on passenger rates has had the effect
to relieve the situation somewhat, and when
they shall finally join the association, which
is expected within the immediate future,
everything will be smooth sailing and west
ern passenger affairs will be in better shape
than they have been in a long time.
1t is believed here that by August 81,
when the Western Passenger association will
hold another meeting, these lines will have
been admitted into the Inner CIRCLE" and
then steps will be taken to firm up rates.
There has been one thing interesting
throughout this whole controversy and that
is the contention on the part of the three
lines outside the association that they were
not alone in the rate cutting business, and
this assertion was based on the claim that
Chicago brokers were able to supply tick
cts to Kansas City, Denver, Omaha and all
transmissouri points at less than schedule
rates. They even asserted that some
favored travellers did not even have to so
TO the scalpers to get reduced rates. So 1t
is plain to be seen that there has been a
muss all around and the Strengthening out
OF the tangle will be a matter of congratu-
lation to all the lines, as they will then
have a season free from anxiety as to what
the other fellow is doing"