The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-02
OLD ". P. 4.
TO DISSOLVE
The Largest Passenger Asso-
citation in the Country
Will Quit.
The Rock Island First to File
a Notice of With
drawal.
Special to The Journal.

SPSSial " lu5
Chicago April 1.-The Western Passen-
ger association the largest organization
of the kind in the country, embracing
every railroad running west from Chicago
and st. Louis, and many others in terri
tory east of the Missouri river, is doomed
to dissolution.
Formal notice Of withdrawal from the
association was given to-day by John
Sebastian, general passenger agent of the
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroad.
The action Of the Rock Island undoubtedly
Will be followed promptly by some of the
most important roads in the association.
The membership Of the association is
composed of the following railroads:
Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe, Burlington
Missouri River, Burlington & Northwest
ern, Burlington & Western, Burlington, &C.
dar Rapids e Northern. Chicago & Alton,
Chicago & North Western, Chicago, Burling-
ton Quincy. Chicago Great Western Chi
cago, Milwaukee C st. Paul, Chicago Peoria
& st. Louis, Chicago, Rock Island & Pa
cihd, Chicago, 81. Paul, Minneapolis &l
Omaha, Denver & Rio Grande Fremont,
Elkhorn Missouri Valley, Hannibal & St.
Joseph, Illinois Central, Iowa Central, Jack
SouFile " ot. Louis, Kansas city, st. Joseph
Council Bluffs, Keokuk & Western, Min
neapols & st. Louis Missouri Pacific Rock
Island & Peoria, st. Louis & San Francisco,
st. Louis, keokuk & Northwestern, Union
Pacific, Wabash, Wisconsin Central
While the Rock Islands official notice
of withdrawal from the association does
not give the reason for it's action, it is
generally understood to be the policy of
the company to refuse to be party to
any organization or agreement which is
to-be construed as In violation of the in
terstate commerce act or antitrust law.
About two weeks ago the Rock Island
withdrew from the southwestern passen-
ger bureau, with headquarters in st.
Louis. If it is found that the trans
continental passenger association, which
has headquarters here, is Illegal, the
Rock Island and other roads will un-
doubtedly withdraw from it.
For some time there has been dissatis-
faction among the members of the West
ern Passenger association over the man
ner in which some Of it's affairs were con-
Quoted. Various pooling schemes were
adopted which proved anything but salts
factory to some Of the lines The recent
activity Of the interstate commerce COM
mission undoubtedly FASTENED the break
Ing Typ OF the association Attorneys OF
some of the roads have advised the traffic
officials that the order issued by Judge
Grosscup prohibiting them from making
secret rates or concessions on any kind
of traffic, or in any way violating the in
terstate commerce antitrust laws, applied
to passenger as well as freight business
In accordance with this the. Illinois Cent
raj company has notified all it's passenger
officials, as well as freight agents, to abb
solutely abide by the published rates. The
withdrawal of the Illinois Central from
the Eastern Passenger association may
occur now.
The Western Passenger association was
organized twenty years ago, and has beer
reorganized six times. The present chair,
man, E. E. Macleod, was elected to thai
position on June 1, 1899, resigning the po
stion of assistant general passenger
agent Of the Rock Island system to take
the place. His predecessor as charnfa,
was B. D. CALDWELL, now traffic manager
of the Lackawanna railroad. The first
chairman Of the association was j. III
Hiland, now traffic manager of the St
Paul system.
1t Is probable that the Western Pasen-
ger association will be recognized ami I'll
illegal features of the present eliminated
only the clergy and mileage bureaus re-
tanned. The Rock Island will retain Its
membership in these bureaus.