Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-12-27


Gentlemen Your communication Of the 2lst
ultimo, addressed TO Freight Traffic Manager
has been handed to me.
As understood here, it embOdies
Eirst-A protest against carry Jag goods consigned
to the agents Of Eastern manufacturers or TO mer-
cnaudise brokers for the same rates and upon the
same conditions goods are Carried when consigned
to the firms who subscribed to the communication,
upon the ground that agents and brokers afore-
said have no capital, carry no stock, and pay no
tlNes.
Second-A protest against performing Transports
ton for country dealers upon equal terms with the
subscribers to the document in hand, upon the
ground that many Of them do not snip carload in
year, but simply hold their contracts ever for the
import NJ merchant Of San Francisco, to regulate
his prices, thus practically dcpriging him OF control
OF the trade
Third-A protest against making the cities OF san
Jose, MARY and Oakland through points, upon
a level with San Francisco, in the matter OF rates
aud shippiug facilities accompanied by a suggestion
that San Francisco alone should be through ship
ping point, but if other cities must be equally
favored, that they be confined to Sacramento and
stockton on the north, and Los Angeles on the
south.
Fourth A suggestion that the present system Of
contracts, which provides the simple and easy-dis
charged obligation upon the shippers part TO give to
the contracting rail carriers the carrying Of all the
goods he handles in return for certain reduced
rates, guaranteed Tor year, shall be abolished
in favor Of a system which viii restrict the reduced
rates aforesaid to such hrus who shall ship one
FIfth-You express the belief that the sugges
tons and protest fairly stated above, if regarded
by the carriers, viii be Tor the best interests not
only Of the important trades represented by the
sgners Of the letter, but for the welfare Of the
State, and YOU therefore, tender this company your
moral support and good will to be NANTES pu
li;ly and privately, support of the measures sug
| gested by you, in the event Of their adoption
| SiNfh-You ask for personal interview, Tor the
purpose Of disc lssiug the important subject.
| You are probably aware Of the circumstances
| which have postponed the interview requested,
You will also acqut me OF discourtesy II say that
| the postponemeut has not been unwelcome to me,
as i. affords opportunity to answer YOUR commu-
uicaton considerably than it could be done in
! person or by d cussion.
! can imagine no greater pleasure to be derived
from business transaction than should enjoy IN
| being able TO promptly and uuqualihedy coucede
all tnst your communication suggests as proper, or
likely promote your interests the welfare Of the
city. That cannot do so, in scarcely any particu-
| lar is 81 cerey regretted.
| Ny inability TO meet your views generally is ow-
ing TO the fact that in September last the Transcon
| t!nentsl Association, which Is composed OF all the
! raj road companies whose lines west OF the Missouri
river share in the traffic between California and the
Eastern States, declared in favor Of continuing what
| is known as the contract pan,' during the year
IS,4 Pursuant thereto the 22d Of October, cir
cuar letters were addressed to all parties having
contracts for the current year. inviting renewal Of
their contracts for ISsi upon the same terms for
lss3, and Offering an additional gcarantg against
| competition A majority Of these invitations hsd
been returned accepted previous to the receipt OF
your communication, The railroad companies are
| Ia honor bound perform their engagements al d
are undoubtedly committed 20 the contract plan for
the year lss4 beyond recall. At least one Of the
| sguers Of your communication was informed Of this
several days previous TO its date.
| Again, il To condition Of things did not exist
the matter would have TO 20 before the Transcon-
tnental Association, which viii not meet again be-
fore January. 1t could not be determined by the
| Central Pac iic Company, OF any officer thereof.
| To Your first protest, permit the reply that | am
not that freight contracts have been made in
discriminatory with irresponsible agents aud brok-
! ers. II IS true that neither the capital Of nor
the amount Of taxes paid by. firm or person soc-
Itiug a contrac; has been made the subject Of
inquiry, but there has been an eudeayor upon the
part Of the carriers to cOnfne their contract firms
and persons carrying a stock Of goods in this mar
ket, or doing legitimate merchandising business
having q defined trade. IL will be found that every
exception to this rule has been made upon consider.
atoms which the carriers could not ignore without
public reproach, il not loss Of business
| Moreover, il has been said with supporting evil
dence that some Of the signeIs Of your communica.
| ton handled and are accustomed to handle. goods
represented in this market by manufactures agents.
| which have been and are brought via Cape II 1rn.
! am unable 20 see why such goods and such agents
, are not properly the subjects OF contracts rs
| though handled exclusively by one 81 your firms.
IL would seem to disinteres;ed party that in asking
the carrier to reject the freights Of manufacturer
| agent YOU are not only demanding What 1t cannot
| legally or equiiEby perform, but requiring it TO
| work Tor you what you can more easily accomplish
| for yourselves by refusing 70 buy goods through
| these agents.
! a contract has never knowingly been made with a
broker II any party has used his contract for the
benefit Of Others the fault lies with the merchant
aud IL is asking too much OF the carrier that ii
should guarantee the honesty good faith OF those
| with whom it deals
| Your second protest may be answered by saying