Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-11

eipal grain depot for export-from ali points, begin
ming with Martinez distant 4 10 miles, and run
rates for like distances charged by the Texas &
Pacific Railway to New Orleans the Missouri Pacific
| Railway to st. Louis the Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul Railway to Milwaukee, and the Chicago &
Northwestern Railway TO Chicago.
THE AVERAGE PER TON PER MILE.
The average per ton per mile of the rates charged
based upon equality Of tonnage for all points, is as
follows:
Cents
Central Pacific ................ &c
Texas and Pacific. so
Missouri Pacific. 81
st. Louis and San Francisco o.................2 Al
Chicago Milwaukee and ST. Paul .............2.o .o8
ChicsgO and Northwestern. rn..................1.8 80
The lowest average of the Eastern roads named is
| that OF the Chicago and Northwestern Railway, one
of the leading railroads OF the great northwest,
whose mileage is about equal to that of the Central
Pacific system, and whose gross tonnage per mile
operated during the year 1882 was 2,52O tons (ac-
cording to Poors Manual " }, against 1,OlsJ tons
per mile operated carried by the Central Pacific
| ,ystem yet the average charge for grain by the
Chicago and Northwestern Railway is Is cents per
ton per le against 66 cents per ton per mile the
| average OF the Central Pacific
OTHER COMPARISONS.
Another compares the grain rates OF the Central
Pacific to Port Costa from all points beginning at |
Goodyear's C. II miles distant) and running via the
California Pacific and Northern roads to Tehama |
in the upper Sacramento valley distant 1856 niles)
| by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway,
another OF the great railroads of the Northwest.
On basis OF equality OF tonnage from all points, the
average charge in cents per ton per mile, of the
Central Pacific compares with that of the Chicago
Milwaukee and st. Paul as 81 is to 342, the East
ern road charging an average OF Sc per cent. more
| than the Cen trail Pacific.
Another exhibit shows the average grain rate of
The Central Pacific to Port Costa from stations be-
I tween Goodyears and willows, to compare with the
average OF the Chicago and Northwestern Railway
for like distances in Illinois, to Chicago 73 is to
303 cents per ton per mile, the Eastern charge be-
ing higher by $50 per cent than that of the Cali
| fernia road
TIE STANDARDS OF EASTERN ROADS.
The other exhibits filed at the same time, and
which compare rstes from the Sacramento valley,
speak for themselves. They make a no less favora-
bic showing for the Central Pacific, and if charges
| by Eastern roads just standards by which to
regulate the charge 10 California they show coneu-
| siyely that further voluntary. reductions in the
| grain rates Of this company would outrage Justice
This company, however, does not admit, nor Will
your honorable Beard be likely to regard he rates
charged by Eastern railroads fair cliterions by
which to Judge the charges OF the Central Pacific
The managers Of Eastern roads Themselves acknowl
edge the greater cost Of service here, and in through
business in which they Joined with the Central
Pacific, allow the latter greater rate per mile than
| their companies receive. The cost OF labor
fuel and all supplies which are used in operating
road ls greater here than at the East The physical
characteristics Of the road are more varied and dif
fcult the traffic is very much lighter every ele-
ment OF cost or economy is against the California
and in favor OF the Eastern road.
| Itrequres expert knowledge to discover this |
1t ought not to require protest from this company
to secure proper consideration of the fact by the
public and your honorable Board. In the matter of
| han1ling grain, the Central Paeifcs service is |
greater and more expensive than that Of Eastern |
roads. The rates OF the Central Pacific include IN
loading at tide water and delivery ships side if
vessel Is re2dyto grain or il not ready, delivery
| at pile whalf in warehouse. The grain is |
handled in Sacks is housed at forwarding stations
only to a limited degree, being largely corraled"
or piled without shelter, alongside the track. This
requires it to be moved before the early rains de
mandDg Of the railroad company such attention
and eXpedit on as to not infrequently compel neg
ect Of other traffic while, a rule, the cars are
sent empty after the load, thus doubling the car
mileage for one Lad.
| GRAIN SHIPMENTS IN THE FAST.
By Eastern roads the grain is uniformly handled
il bulk. 1t is universally housed after harvest and
is moved only the market s favorable or the ne
| cesSites of the farmer require In loading it usu
ally passes through an elev.tor being shot into the
cars at such that full train can be loaded
and moved While one car is being loaded in Caiitor-
MIA. At the various termini it is discharged into
| elevators car being enpt.ed in something less
| than ore minute The economy permissible in the
use OF rolling stock by this rapid loading aud dis
| charging of cars is very marked. Cars have made
| two round trips in one day between Aurora and
Chicago, Illinois, distance OF about fifty miles,
thing impossible here under four days. According
to this, the California road would be required at
least quadrupe the rolling stock employed by the
Illinois road TO handle the tonnage like dis
| tance. Moreover, the return traffic on Eastern
roads, in coal, lumber, ETC., used in the interior,
nearly balances the outward tonnage of and
| produce, giving full loads IN both directions.
| Within few weeks the writer informed by
| Mr.. Midgley, the Commissioner OF the Iowa Trunk
Line Association, that, laterly the east and west
tonnage of the lines he represented nearly bal
anced, and he looked for equality within a short
| time.
From the foregoing the company argues that any
reduction IN grain rates is indefensible 1t is aimed
at that portion OF the traffic which, in acknowledge
ment of the principle that by fostering production
it promoted its interests it has, with the pres.
cience OF trained judgment, treated with unexam.
Piled lberality.
| CLASSIFICATION OF TRAFFIC.
With respect 20 the proposed reduction on grain
for seeding and feeding purpose es going TO the nte.
rior to the level OF rates for outward grain, the
company would, in addition to the general protest
| against any reductions whatever, urge that the
| principle which the Commission would set up in
this case, namely, that rates for the class of
goods should be the for like distances regard
less Of direction is erroneous. Classification of
traffic. for the purpose Of rating charges thereon is
necessary and universal 1t has not become uni
versa by the election of the carriers-the laws of
trade have forced it. If possible, an average rate
upon all goods would be adopted by every carrier ;
its effect IN simplifying and economizjng the con-
duct OF transportation can hardly be measured.
This classification must be had not only with
respect to differing values, bulk, weight,
direction and competition For example,
manufactured cottons from the mills of the South
to the North rated materially lower than from
the mills OF New England to he South, the differ.
enee ranging from 40 to AZ per cent, this in spite of
the fact that the material must first go from the
South to New England in order to be miiled and re-
turned Rasins, before becoming an important
California product, were, and even now are, brought
from the East for from two to three cents per pound
They sent from California to the East at and
one.hslf cents per pouRd. Examples might be
/ " ont m fhn 2fraf
| Of mis- ranch amounts to considerable to the Cali
foTnia farmer. very much than five times that
rate would equal on the small amount of seed wheat
| he should want from another section.
MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM RATES.
The design of classification is to ace the higher
charges where they will not be felt. at les not
| burden to the consumer. All freight cannos be
| handled at the minimum rate-some must pay the
maximum. If the maximum is reduced, or con-
| siderable tonnage taken faom the intermediate
classes and rated with the lowest, then the mini
mum must be increased So much for the prin-
| oiple.
! going in out of the country, but its value is
not the same, and the difference in volume is very
| wide.
| The company must earnestly protest against the
introduction Of such principle OF rating as this
proposition OF the Commissioners involves II is
destructive Of the fundamental principles of tars
The present ate grain to the interior works no
hardship TO the public The proposed action of the
Commission will have sppreciable Influence upon
the States prosperity. 1t is concession to ieno-
rance. It is suggested by comparison The COM
| plant stands not that the maximum charge of
IS 05 per tln of 1000 pounds for carrying grain to
the interior is too high, per se but because tae
maximum charge IN the other direction is but s. so
Adopt the principle and apply it wherever it has
equal force, ard you will destroy classification De-
stroy classification, and you will ruin either the
community served by the carriers or the carriers
| themselves.
| TRANSPORTATION OF LIVE STOCK.
The rates live stock in car loads and or wool
in both car loa1s and smaller quantities should not
be disturbed for the that at the insance CT
your predecessors in Office, general and material re-
ductons were made in the rates on these articles
which reduced rates. taking effect June 1. 1881
have since continued and are now in force
BY reference to a table published by the Railroad
Commission, May IL, 1881 it win be observed that
these reductions ranged frsm per cent to over 80
per cent, as rule the larger reductions being made
in the highest rates for the loLger hauIs
TIE rnle for charging for the transportation of
live stock in less than car iosds is to rate one ami
NAL as one tom two animals as one and three quar-
ter tons; three animals two and one-haIf tons and
each additional animal one-haf ton Of frst-elass
freight, and go on until the charge for the lot equals
the eh 'rge for carload, thas being the maximum
for any number Of animals in one car.