San Andreas independent., 1857-06-27
Ocean Steamship Monopoly.

On first page in our advertising columns will
be seen, published, the prospectus of the Cali
fornia and New York Steamship Company
having for its object the reduction of price in
passage and freight from New York to San
Francisco. The Company are now soliciting
Stock in accordance with their plans, to enable
them to put the two first steamers on the route.
1t is well known that the old line charges ex-
orbitant prices. The San Joaquin Republican
thus notices the Pacific Mail Steamship Compa-
ny, and their many acts of fragrant injustice:
"Ofthe many gigantic evils that have afflicted
California, repressed her energies, and exhausted
the resources of her people, there have been but
few if any more potent than the intolerable mo-
nopoly and heartless extortion for so many
years enjoyed and practiced by the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company, and which only becomes
more unbearable as its powers and wealth in
crease. 1t is a sngularly anomalous fact in
this practical enterprising age, when capital
is everywhere seeking investment, that so ex-
tensve and profitable field as that occupied
by this company should so long be monopolized
by one concern. The passenger trade between
San Francisco and New York is by far the most
profitable in the world-yet, year after year, the
Mail Company are permitted by the capitalists
and business men of the nation to enjoy the ex-
elusive benefit of that trade, and to extort
double and treble prices from the people who
are compelled to travel in their ships Aside
from the pecuniary profits so ruthlessly wrung
from our people by the company, the injury in
ficted upon the State by the practical prohibi-
tion of immigration, is incalculable and ire
parable. The enormous tariff of charges rem
ders it impossible for people of limited means to
reach the Pacific by this line, while those who
are compelled to travel on the steamers are not
only robbed, but are subjected to degree of
ill-usage that would not be tolerated In any
other trade in the world. How much longer
the public of California will submit patiently
to the oppression and outrage heaped upon
them by this huge monopoly, it is difficult to
determine but if we may judge from the signs
of the times, means will soon be devised to
coerce the company to change of policy
Their unrelenting extortion will not be always
endured. Like every other public wrong, it has
within itself the elements of destruction, and if
not crushed by other influences, it must sooner
or later fall by its own rottenness.
By the lowest calculation, we find that, be-
sides the enormous sums received from the gov
ernment for carrying the mails, from the trans
portation of gold and other freight, all of which
is paid by the people of California, the mail COM
pany receives annually from our citizens the
sum of ST, $50 900 in passage money. The COM
pany's steamers make forty-eight trips per an
num- The average number of passengers car
ried, according to the published returns, which
VIGOROUSLY understate the number, is above 500
but taking that as the minimum, and $500 as
the average price per passenger, we hnd the re-
ceipts of the company, from this source alone,
one hundred and sixty thousand dollars per trip,
six hundred and fifty thousand dollars per month
or seven millions, six hundred and eighty thou
sand dollars per annum. The actual number
of passengers carried, however, comes nearer
an average of twelve hundred than eight hum
dred per trip.
And what return does this mammoth monop-
DIV make to California, for this immense sum of
money? Nothing but renewed extortion and
oppression The company will not so much as
nav taxes upon their property to the State that
protects them. They prevent, by their exorbi-
tant charges, the immigration of tens of thous-
ands of people who would annually flock to this
State if there were line of travel open to them,
the expenses of which they could bear. They
impoverish our people, restrict our population,
contemn the authority of our laws cripple our
enterprise, disregard their contract obligations
to carry our mails with despatch, maltreat our
citizens on their steamers, and treat our de-
mands for redress and justice with contempt
10 all these and many other wrongs at the
nanos OF the mail company, we have submitted
ior years-during each one of which we have
paio 10 our oppressors money enough to estab-
Ish three well appointed and properly managed
independent lines of steamers How much lon
ger will our people disregard their own hest
interests ana tnose OF the commonwealth by
submitting to the double wrongs heaped unon
them by the mail company and kindred monon-
olies 2"