The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-14
RAILROAD NEWS.
Santa Fe Involved in Bitter
Rate War.
Colorado Midland Refuses to
Handle Santa Fe Cars.
SANTA FE MAY BUY.
RumOr of a Deal For the Colo
RADIO Short Line.
Santa Fe Officials Are Working
in Colorado.

There is great interest in Santa F'e
official circles concerning the freight
rate situation in Colorado. Things are
very much unsettled there and the re-
cent trip of Vice President Paul Nor
ton, General Freight Agent James E.
German, and other prominent Santa F'e
officials, add significance to the oc-
casion.
1t is rumored that the Santa Fe is
planning to buy the Colorado Springs
and Cripple Creek railway, also known
as the Short Line. This rumor is de-
MED by both Vice President Morton, and
by President Howbert, of the Short
Line. They assert that the object of
the visit of the San&a F'e officials is
simply to get together on a traffic
agreement between the roads.
So bitter has the freight rate war be-
tween Colorado Springs and Cripple
Cripple Creek that the Colorado Midland
has declared war on the Santa Fe, and
has refused to transfer freight from the
tracks. The Midland claims that the
Santa Fe has not remained neutral in
its fight with the Short Line. The
Short Line is now at work building
line of its own through Colorado
Springs to connect with the Santa Fe.
Another movement of great moment
in Colorado is the withdrawal of the
Missouri Pacific from the Colorado and
Utah tariff agreement. Up to Deem
Der 81 the freight rates in the west
were greatly demoralized. Freight was
jObberS at Denver and Colorado Springs
in great quantities, and all these deal
erS stocked up heavily in preparation
for an anticipated raise in rates. On
January l a strict agreement was enter
ed into to maintain the old rates. Now
the Missouri Pacific has announced its
withdrawal from this agreement. It is
believed that this means a renewal of
the rate Slashing. The jobberS and
manufacturers are worried, because if a
new rate war is started, the retail deal
from 9 W n
lots, and the jObberS in Denver and
Colorado Springs will be left with a
heavy stock on hand, and no market.
ChaS. Cook, of the general freight de-
partment of the Santa Fe here said
today in talking of the situation: "Of
course we do not know yet just what
the Missouri Pacific expects to do. 1t
has been pursuing an aggressive policy
in the Colorado trade. / do not know
that it will cut the rates at once. 1
think it is likely that it will maintain
rates until the western jobbers have
time to work off their heavy stocks of
goods. Then there may be another cut
to enable them to stock up again. This
is nothing but my personal opinion. I
can't say what effect this will have on
| the Santa Fe.''
No one expects that if Gould carries
| out a slashing policy in this territory,
where he but recently increased his
business to great proportions, he will
| be allowed to do SO without retaliation
on the part of his competitors.
viii protect our friends was the sig
nificant remark of a leading railroad
man yesterday afternoon.
With Gould penetrating to the heart
| of the Rocky Mountain territory, the ri
| val roads may be expected to seek
| fields where Gould formerly reigned
| practically supreme. The Burlington
| and other roads can easily go into the
| St. Louis and Southern territory for
| business, while the Rock Island and
Santa Fe can attack a vital spot in the
great southwest 1t would be a fight
| on one great system against many, and
| consequently hope is expressed that
| such a sapient financier as George J..
Gould will hesitate before making an
| attack on Colorado rates
| If such campaign commences pas
| senger rates will inevitably be involv-
| ed and then the decentralization will be
| complete. During the most severe
| tariffs of the past year, passenger rates
| stood unchanged and this fact caused
many signs of relief. But the most
sanguine do not hope to keep the pas
| Missouri Pacific inaugurates another
! cut and slash campaign to secure
| freight business.
| 1t is insinuated by many that the
| withdrawal of the Missouri Pacific is
| merely a bluff to secure a larger pro-
| portion of tonnage in the blind pool"
| of Colorado business, a mysterious COM
| bina ton which is said not to exist, but
| which generally berays considerable
evidence of life at potential moments.
| These observers point out that before
| the recent freight cutting the Missouri
Pacific was hauling into this territory
from to per cent of the total bust
ness against 81 to so per cent carried
by the Burlington and other large haul
ers. BY the aid of the cut rates the
Missouri Pacific ran it's tonnage up to
a figure closely approaching that of the
leaders. and it is insinuated that the
new claimant for tonnage prefaced its
demand for new division of the freight
business by withdrawing from the Col
orado and Utah agreements.