Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-22
He KNOWS OF NO
RAILROAD TRUST
President jeffey Characterizes Re-
port as BaseIess Fabrication,
SAYS UNITY WOULD BE GOOD
Aud That IL Would Save Railroads
Much Useless Expense aud Make
Them Money.

Upon his return from Denver on Fri
day last President 4. 7. Jeifery Of the
Denver & Rio Grande railway char
acterlzed the report, coming from Chi.
cage. Of the organization Of general
railroad trust as IAN absolutely base
less fabrication
MIR Jeflery says that there has been
a great deal OF complaint that the rail-
ways have not observed the Interstate
law and the laws OF the several states
through which they pass, but he hays
that It Is certainly the intention Of
railroad officials TO abide by the rules
laid down by the interstate commerce
commission, and the latter Is aware Of
this fact The object Of the recent
conference In New York Of railroad Of
ficials was the abolition OF ticket COM
missions, says the Rio Grandes presl-
dent. Efforts made heretofore were
futile. Recently the railroads east OF
the Mississippi river and north Of the
Ohio and Patomac rivers gave notice
Of the dlscontlnuance Of commissions
on and after January LIST. Subsequent
~ the railroads south Of the OHIO and
Potomac, and east OF IN lower klissis-
sippi river decided 10 stop the payment
OF commissions on February LIST. On
January 9th at a general conference Of
all the important lines west Of Chicago
and st. Louis and the lower Mississippi
river points. decided that the discon-
tinuance OF commissions on tickets VIII
be general throughout the United
States. The action Of the lines repre-
scented az the conference made Il neces-
sary for a joint circular to be Issued 10
be signed by the general passenger
agents of perhaps seventy railways.
This circular Is about TO be issued ana
1t has given rise TO great deal OF sus-
picion and criticism OF railways,
President jeffery declares that the
recent conference OF which he was the
presidlng officer, did not discuss the re-
ported railway trust, the abandonment
OF city ticket offices, the discharge OF
thousands OF employees, or the estab-
lIshment Of joint agencies TO distribute
the freight and passenger business In
the pool He went TO New York upon
certain mission. discharged the re-
sponsibility and heard nothing OF the
gigantic combine which Is noised about
In different parts Of the East as one
OF the greatest aggregations OF moneyed
power ever formed. IL there n a big
railway syndicate brewing MI Jeffery
SAYS he has no knowledge Of the fact
In some quarters 1t was claimed
that the stories OF immense rail
way combines are fabricated by ticket
agents who are about to lose large
block OF their salary through the recent
New York conference Eastern papers
are publishing startling articles on the
subject and the movements OF proml-
nent railway magnates of New York
have led TO the suspicion that there IL
q large amount Of truth IN the rumors.
a leading railway official OF Denver
has ventured the assertion that
in three years people who Wish TO buy
railroad tickets VIII go to the union
depot TO do 80.
No other line OF business In the world,
says Mr.. Jeffery, Is 80 foolish In throw,
ins away money as the railroads. They
keep up senseless competition, where.
as II the business Is distributed under
one general management, soliciting
agents Of The freight and passenger de-
partments could be eliminated entirely
and useless trains could be discontinued
The roads would become real money
making Investments.
II Is the general impression In num-
Der OF Offices on Seventeenth street says
che Denver News, that the inevitable
IS approaching The financial managers
in New York have been getting closer
and closer together Tor several years
and the adjustment OF commissions Is
regarded as a long step toward the big
trust. The only objection advanced.
from a practical point OF view, Is that
the combine would be TOO great 10 be-
successfully maintained. II is also con-
tended that the strong lines would have
10 give up so much IN supporting the
weak lines that the experiment would
soon come 60 an end. The difficulty Of
inducing many itch men 60 agree on any
question. Is also pointed out
Notwithstanding these objections. n
Is shown that half dozen Of the lead
ing roads east OF the Mississippi river
are already under one head and the
movement Is rapidly spreading.