Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-06
CONSOLIDATION IN
BONDS OF PEACE
Bic Eastern Lines Absorbing Small
Ones to Promote Harmony
APPOINTMENT COMMENDED.
NEWER Times Thinks HeinH wen
Deserves Ills Promotion New
Railway Line for oregon.

An important railroad conference has
IN IN progress In New York for the
last two days az the Waldorf-Astoria,
sovs the New York Tribune. NJ. T.,
Ingalls,. president of the Big Four and
chssapeake g. Ohio systems, Henry
Fink president OF the Norfolk & West
err. and A. ]. Cassatt, president OF the
Pennsylvania system, have ali been In
attendance. John X ,Cowan, president
NJ Che Baltimore G. Ohio, is also said to
have been present. one important
matter disposed Of was the rate for
hauling coal for the coming year; but
,bls IL said to have been only an incl
dent Of the meeting
For some time IL has been known that
tbe Vanderbilt Morgan interests were
in control Of the Big Four and the
cbesapeake g. Ohio. There have been
persistent rymors, too, regarding a
combination between the Pennsylvania,
and the Baltimore d Ohio systems. and
of these two roads with the Wander
but systems. man usually well in
formed said that he had been given
90 understand that in the near future
a great combination would be effected,
and that the following roads would
be I'm il: The Boston & Maine which,
as II owns the road, also means the
Maine Central, north Of Boston. the
IL 4. lIap
which on account of its ultimate traf-
hc relationship with the Pennsylvania
could not well stand aloOf, and the BOs-
ton & Albany now controlled by the
New York Central-these roads prac-
ideally covering the field OF New Eng
land. Besides these the speaker named
the Pennsylvania. the Baltimore a. Ohio
the Chesapeake & Ohio the Big Four
the Norfolk & Western. and the New
York Central system including the LAX o
Shore and Michigan Southern and the
Michigan Central, as we'll as the Nickel
Plate and West Shore. He added that
he was not informed as 60 what the ex-
act form Of the combination would be
whether IL would amount 10 actual con.
eolldation or not-but 1t would certain
~ be of such a nature as 70 prevent
future competition and consequent
cutting Of freight and passenger rates
Ibis, he thought, however, was only
the beginning, and 1t was his conviction
that other roads may be taken In later,
both In the South and West
For two or three days there have
been persistent rumors In Wall street
that a railroad combination of the first
magnitude was impending. but there
has been much mystery as to the iden-
tity of the roads concerned While
the stories printed from time TO time
Of consolidation OF all the railroads
Of the Middle and Eastern States may
be dismissed as impossible. the trend Of
the times Is toward unifcatiOn and
harmonious agreement. The last two
or three years have witnessed the uni
iication Of the New York Central sys-
tenn II has for good while been
the belief OF the best Informed railroad
tinanciers that In the near future the
railroads Of New England would be
operated under single ownership or
control.
A year ago the New York Central in
terests secured control OF the Rutland
railroad. The Rutland road is init
mately connected with the Fltchburg,
and later the New York Central made
oyertures toward obtaining a lease OF
the latter property. These negotla-
lions were not successful, and the Cen
trail made an arrangement whereby It
obtained control Of the Boston & AL
bany on a long lease. Advices from
Boston quote the president Of the
Boston q Maine as admitting that his
road was I'm negotiation for the leasing
of the Fitchburg. With the Fltchburg
the Boston q Maine would have a
western outlet from Boston.
But Wall street opinion has coin
cided with the view Of the Tribune s
informant, that the Boston * Maine
We're soon TO pass under the control Of
the New York Central. There remains
in New England the big New York.
New Haven and Hartford road, which
although II may not be taken over by
any other company, Is stu not likely TO
be a dsturber of harmony for j..
Pierpont Morgan and Senator Depew
are among It's directors and another Is
William Rockefeller, who recently en-
tered the New York Central board.
Moreover, the New Haven road Is in
sylYania, between which systems and
the New York Central a compact Of
unity exists.
month ago II became known that
an important agreement had been en-
tered into between the Pennsylvania
and the Baltimare & Ohio--an agree
ment as a result OF which II Is gem
eraly believed the two roads will be
operated as friendly competitors. South
OF the Baltimore & Ohio runs the
Chesapeake & Ohio, and south Of the
Chesapeake & Ohio the Norfolk &
Western.
For two or three weeks there has been
a marked movement in Chesapeake &
OHIO on the stock exchange, and ru-
m0rs have been frequent that the con-
troll OF this system would be appOrtioned
among the Vanderbilt Morgan, Penn
sylvania and Baltimore & Ohio inter-
ests, thus bringing the Chesapeake a.
Ohio into the sphere OF trunk line influ-
ence. The presence OF President Fink
at the Waldorf-Astoria conference
naturally leads TO the conclusion that
the Norfolk & Western may like the
Chesapeake q Ohio, be brought within
the scope Of the working agreement
now operative between the New York
Central and the Pennsylvania. And SO
with the railways Of New England
controlled by one or both Of these great
systems. with the Big Four already a
Vanderbilt property, the Erie Nor
gan property, the Lackawanna DOM
mated by the Vanderbllts, with the
Chesapeake & Ohio, the Baltimore a
Ohio and the Norfolk & Western act
Ing In harmony and all parties to the
New York Central pennsylvania ocm-
pact with the Southern railway con-
trolled by Morgan interests. the Louis
VILE & Nashville controlled by Mr..
Belmont and the Illinois Central by Mr..
Hartman, II would appear that the
days OF rate war Generalization In the
East, the South and the Central states
may be considered past and gone.
SPEAKS WILL nF IIEI<Tz