The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-17
Southwestern Lines Facing Pas
senger Rate Trouble.
Proposition for SIS Fare From
K. C. to Chicago and Return.
LOTS OF DIFFERENCES.
About All Competing Lines in
the Country Are at Odds.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Chicago, May 17.-While the eastern
lines are warning over the differential
question and the Chicago-St. Paul
roads badly mixed up over the steam
ship business, the southwestern lines
have decided to step into the Hmelght
themselves and give a little exhibition
of rate cutting. AS a result a rate of
IS from Kansas City to Chicago and re-
turn is likely to be announced at any
time.
The trouble between the southwestern
lines arose over the proposition to move
large body of Eagles from Kansas
City to Milwaukee for a convention in
July. It was proposed to put in a rate
of one fare plus 81. but finally one of
the lines announced a rate of S11 for
the round trip. It tried to defend its
action, but it could not convince the
officials of the st. Paul and Northwest
ern lines that it was justified, and those
officials notified the line that they would
require their full proportional of the
one fare plus 50 rate on all business
handled
AS these two roads are the only ones
having lines from the south and west
reaching Milwaukee, it appeared as
though the situation was we'll in hand.
But the road that proposed the 81
rate found way to solve the difficulty
and submitted to the members of the
Western Passenger association the pro-
position to make a rate of IS from
Kansas City to Chicago during the
time the ragles are in convention in
Milwaukee. This would allow the pas
sengers to purchase regular local tick
cts Chicago to Milwaukee and return
and would result in an 81 rate
But the trouble among the south
western lines comes just when another
! fight in the Western Passenger asso-
citation was narrowly averted. It was
over the movement of the B'nai Birth
society to St Paul The Great Western
road contracted the movement. which
was not large, and then put in a rate
of S12 against a previously agreed
rate of SIS. The Illinois Central, to
retaliate, announced that it would
make a rate of 81 to st. Paul, good
May Is. But yesterday the Illinois
would not be made and the Great
! Western would be allowed to go I'M
punished for contracting business on
a rate to be made later.
But the steamship business is still
far from being settled. Accusations
! of commission paying and other irreg-
ularities are being frequently made
and the Montreal gateway rate has
broken through the Niagara frontier.
This was further evidenced by the
movement over theI- Great Western,
the Nickel Plate. and the West Shore,
OF two theatrical parties from the
Twin Cities which passed through Chi
cago Sunday. The movement is justi-
fed by the claims that the 500 line
rate effective through Montreal is for
all kinds of business and that the
eastern lines are trying to protect the
Niagara gateway.
The differential fight has presented
no new developments since the oficial Is
| failed to agree at a conference in New
York last Friday. The lines are all
determined to wait until the next
meeting. called for May %. and an
other cut in rate is not expected until
after that meeting.