Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-16

Ronde river. where junction will be
made with the E!gin branch of the same
road.
Leading officials of big and little rail-
roads are kept quite busy these days
denying runners of consolidation schemes
coming from Wall street On the strength
of report that there was to be com
munity of financial interest" in the
Pennsylvania and Santa Fe systems.
Santa Fee stock made big advance this
week.
Discussing this, President Ripley of
the Santa Fee said: "There have been
many reports of late from Wall street
that the Santa Fe will be united with
some other system. No step of this ma
ture has been or is being considered,
Everyone has the subject of consolida ton
on his mind now. This ina gination OF
the public has been worked up of late
that rlfmors of the most shadowy kind
are believed in some quarters. We are
so strong and prosperous that there is no
danger of our being forced into any ANAL
gamation or community of interests
scheme"
Conference being held between the
roads of the Santa Fe and Southern Paci-
f1c railroads probably will soon result in
increased earnings of the Santa Fee. 1t
has demonstrated it's ability to success,
fully fight for some of the traffic to which
the Southern Pacific has always consid-
cred it should exclusively control.
The managers of both companies seem
to have reached the conclusion that traf-i
fic wars are expensive to the winner as
we'll as the loser. An agreement to fairly
divide competitive business has practi-
cally been reached, only matters of detail
remaining to be adjusted One of them
is regarding military traffic. The South
ern Pacific long enjoyed monopoly Of
that traffic because of the Indebtedness
to the government of the Central Pas
cfic. In securing q reconsideration by the
government of the plan for the dis,ribu-
ton of military traffic and an order that
the business must be awarded to the
company Offering the best rate the Santa
Fe. through Vice President Morton Sc
cured a double Victory
Chicago exporters of flour, grain, and
provisions are much interested in the
New York Freight and Transportation
bureau, which has just been formed by
prominent business and financial men of
New York. The organization has been
incorporated. the main object, as stated,
being Ito obtain for the port OF New York
equitable rates for transportation"
Because of higher rates made to New
York, its export traffic in grain. flour and
provisions has been steadily decreasing
for years, and that of Philadelphia, Balti-
more. and Newport News has ncreas-
ed. This has resulted in a loss of bust
ness for the lines from Chicago to New,
York direct, as we'll as to the western,
railroads terminating in Chicago. 1t is
no longer denied that the grain traffic be-,
tween Buffalo and New York is pooled by
the railroads, and that the highest rates
possible are strictly maintained. The poor
was extended to include the lines from
Chicago to Buffalo and Pittsburg but
this pool recently collapsed. for multi
tude of reasons. The principal one was
that the weak" lines We're taking the
largest share of the business
If the new freight and transporta ton
burS au in New York succeeds in breaking
the pool of the Buffa'o-New York lines.
and secures lower rates to that port, Chi
cago exporters and officials of western
roads terminating in Chicago will be
much pleased.