New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-06
PTTTSBURG GETS NO FAVOR.
RAILROADS REFUSE TO REDUCE RATES
ON STEEL FOR EXPORT-TALK
OF A NEW LINE.

The efforts of the steel manufacturers OF Pitts
burg a reduction of freight rates on steel
and iron and their products from the PittsburB
region the Atlantic seaboard have come to moth
ing REPRESENTATIVES of nearly all the railroads
of Chicago met in this city yesterday ana, az
ter celebrating until late in the afternoon decided
that 1t would be impolitic to grant the reduction
asked. For more than six months the Pittsburg
manufacturers have been trying to get change.
They framed Joint appeal to the railroads running
through Pittsburg for lower rates on steel for ex-
port pointing out that the existing rates favored
the lake cities. Recently they have become more
determined, and at a conference held last month
with the Trunk Line Association officials they
maintained that steel and iron products could be
carried from the lake cities to the seaboard and
exported at profit. while the manufacturers OF
Pittsburg precuded from disposlng OF their
goods abroad to advantage.
They pointed out that the freight rates on steel
were higher now than twenty years ago. when the
price Of steel considerably more
From Pittsburg to Atlantic Coast points the rate
is is cents per 100 pounds by alrail route. The
rate from Cleveland to New-York by way of Buff
falo and the Erie Canal is cents. Wheat is car
ried from Chicago to New-York twice the distance
between Pittsburg and New-York, for 10 cents
hundredweight. Wheat is no easier to handle
than finished steel the manufacturers say, and one
of the questions they have asked the raliroad au,
thorities to elucidate is why wheat should De
shipped much cheaper than steel
That question the railroad men answered yester-
day. They came TO the conclusion that while they
.
kets, they could not reduce the rates To make a
cut In the rates for export, they argued, would
precipitate a for reduction OF rates upon
domestic trade Inasmuch as this would tend to
upset the whole classification system, they decided
that they could not accede to the demands of the
steel men.
The conference which was held at the offices of
the Trunk Line Association presided over by
Commissioner J. F. Goddard. Among the railroad
officials present were w. H. Joyce. freight traffic
manager. and ]. B.. Thayer, ,tr., general freight
agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad; w: L. King
man, general freight agent Of the New-York Cen
trail G. S. White traffic manager of the Baltimore
and Ohio: B. D. Caldwell. traffic manager of the
Lackawanna; G, G. Grammar traffic manager p OF
the Lake Shore w L. Cromlsh. general freight
agent of the Pittsburg and western, and Frank
A. Dean, general freight agent of the Pittsburg
Lake Erie. Commissioner Goddard said that
the action taken by the meeting was unanimous
AS 1t would seem that there is little Likelihood
of the railroads acceding to the demands for rate
reductions 1t is believed that the manufacturers
will give their attention more earnestly than be-
fore to the talked of plan Of building connections
for a through line to the coast, to be run by
themselves. The estimate has been made that
such line in conjunction with some OF the small
lines in existence, and perhaps with the Read
ing system, could be built for SS0,0O0,OOO