Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-05-01
RATE WAR STARTED,
Diamond 10 Said to Have Gone
After the Small
Packets.
In A VERY QUIET WAY.
Which Fact Serves to Sustain
Rock Island in Favor.
ing None.
A VERY QUIET WAY

Down in Burlington the Diamond
10 line is accused of the first move OF
hostility to the local packets below
that city in secret reduction of rates
on certain classes. The Sidney is
said to have been carrying freight be-
tween Burlington and Keokuk and
intermediate points for cents per
hundredweig ht. An exchange says:
This is an extremely low rate, and
will result in a war which will rival
all wars in the past. 1t is, as far as
is known, the lowest rate ever in
force between the two cities. Seven
cents per hundred is the proverbial
rate between these two points, and
that is the rate now being charged by
the Eloise. The Diamond 10 line has
been very quiet about the matter, but
has been charging the lower rate for
some time past. The agents will also
take any class of freight at GEMS
per hundred. Local agents are at a
loss to know what the big line means
by such action. They are beginning
to wonder If the much discussed COM
petition for all classes of freight is to
be inaugurated this season, now that
the Diamond 10 line has decided to
put three steamers into the trade.
If this is to he the case, the big liners
will find that they have run against a
strong propo sition. At Burlington,
however, the rate war mas not reached
the passenger business, and until il
does there will not be 80 much inter-
est taken in it. Passenger business
is not heavy vet, but when it becomes
so, a rate war is one of the most in
teresting studies in the range of
steam boating" The information
comes, however, that the war is to he
extended to up river points, and that
it is to increase rather than decrease
in bitterness, the object of the 10 line
being to run out the local packets.
This statement may be true and it
NAV not. So far the Diamond 10 has
let the packets alone up this way, but
a breach between the big company
and the Rock IslandDAvenport- Bur
lington packets has bean expected the
past two seasons and may come this
wear. If it does Rock Island will see
the advantage of treating all steam
boat companies alike, and giving none
advantage over the others in the mat
ter of river front accommoda-
tions, especially to an unfriendly one.
There is no commercial war so Sc
we're and unrelenting as a steam boat
war. This city has had some expert
ence in this respect. 1t stops at
nothing, even to conflict SEASONAL
ly on the high seas, and while for the
time the shipper may profit by the
competition in the rates. in the end
nothing is gained, either for the rival
lines or their patrons. Realization of
the possibility of such bitter strifes
arising is one of the reasons why
Rock Island has taken the stand that
all steam boats shall be treated alie e
here and that the wharfage shall be
controlled by none. All shall share
equally in such privileges as are pro-
vided. and when trouble comes. Rock
Island will be out of it. All will have
like rights here. and none will own
any part of the landing or levee
rights and will not be in a position
under any circumstances to drive its
rival out. Fairness to all, the same
rights to all or none is Rock Islands
motto as regards steam boat rights on
the new leyee.