The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-06
BiG RAILROAD COMBINE.
story Revived by IL Meeting Mt Ne,
York

New York, January s. The Tribune
says; An important railroad conference
has been in progress in this city for the
last two days at the Waldorf Astoria NJ
!, ingalls,. president OF the Big Four aud
Chesapeake and Ohio systems Henry
Fink, president of the Norfolk and Vest
crn, and a. J. Cessat. presiden, OF the
Pennsylvania system. have all been in at
tendance.
John X. Cowan, president of the Balti-
more and Ohio. is also said 70 have been
present. One important matter disposed
of was the rate for hauling coal for the
coming year; but this is said to have been
only an incident OF the meeting.
For some time it has been known That
the Vanderbilt Morgan interests we're IN
control OF the Big Four and the Chesd-
peake and Ohio. There have been per-
sistent rumors, too, regarding combina-
ton between the Pennsylvania and the
Baltimore and Ohio systems, and OF these
two roads with the Vanderbilt system.
man usually well Informed said that he
had been given TO understand that in tho
near future a great combination would BE-
effected and that the following roads would
be in II. The Boston and Maine, which
as 1t owns the road. also meaus the Maine
Central and the Fitchburg, north OF Bos-
ton; the New York. New Haven and Hart
ford. which, on account Of us ultimate
trifAc relationship with the pennsylvania,
could not well stand aloof, and the Boston
and Albany, now controlled by the New
York Central--these roads practically COW
ering the field Of New England. Besides
these, the speaker named the Pennsylva-
MIA the Baltimore and Ohio, the Chesa-
peake and Ohio. the Big -Four. the Norfolk
and Western and the New York Central
systems, Including the Lake Shore ana
Michigan Southern and the Michigan Cen
trai, as well as The Nickel Plate aid the
West Shore H. AIDED that he was not In
formed as to what the exact form Of tie
combination would be-whethcr It would
amount 10 a coalition or consolidation, but
IL would certainly be Of such \ nature as
to prevent future competition and conse-
quent cutting of freight and passenger
rates. This. he thought. however, was
only the beginning and It was his convlc-
ton that other roads would be taken in
later both in the South and West.
For .wo or three days there have been
persistent rumors In Wall street that a
railroad combination % the frat magnitude
was impending, but there has been niucn
mystery as N the identity OF the roads
concerned. while the tories printed from
time to time or consolidation OF all the
railroads from the Middle and Eastern
States may be dismissed as impossible the
trend of the time is toward uni1caiion aad
harmonious agreem'nt. The last two Or
three years have witnessed the unhcation
OF the New York Central system II nas
for a good while been the belief Of the
best informed railroad fEanciers that in
he near future tho railroads Of New Eng
land would be orerated under single
ownership or control
A year ago the New York GENIAL inter-
ests seagrcd control OF the Rutland rail-
road. Tho Rutland road is intimately con-
nected With the Fitchburg. and later the
New York Central made overtures toward
obtaining lease OF the latter property.
These negotiations were not successful aud
the Central made an ARRANGEMENT whereby
II obtained control Of the Boston and Al
bany on a long lease.
But Wall street opinion has coinclded
with the view OF the yTribune's informant
that the Boston and Maine was soon 10