The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-10-19
WHARF RATE REFORM.
rHx BoAES ~ TsADx suorE<rs arLax
ZOE GRADED cnAnGxs.


ne So1ru Of Trade met. pursuRut 1.
cali. in the rooms Of the secretary yesfe-
Gay evening. and on the meeting bein,
called 70 order by the president, NJ. Geo
b. AdAir, the question Of wharfa<e was r.
Diseased In his opening remarks, III.
president considered the rates charged OF
small outgoing packages excessive. II.
referred 10 san Francisco. where whar
Tolls were taxed By means OF tickets, 20 o
which could be purchased FOR 81. the tol
on or on amounting 70 cents for a icssi d
ton or less These facts had been furn
ished By pamphlet from the harbo. CON
missioner Of that city addressed 70 Capt
Hatfield in reply to written cozamunf
cation on the matter.
Capt ,. A. Hatfield IN statements made
did not think that 20 cents par ton on ia
eo1aiDg merchandise vas excessive, bni
was inclined 10 reform on the rates
charged on small packages shipped frors
seattle.
Mr. b. GafxeFt submitted q plan which
he con sldered would 60 far towards revu
lsting the evils Of the present sysfen
The proposition favored the printing OF 4
graduated list OF tickets ranging from (
cents to 20 cents IN srithmetIcaf progrrs
9-ec1t ueket 10 pass package of iet
pounds or under. aud 50 on, tickets TO beai
tue name OF the shipper, and bills TO b.
rendered monthly by the wharf owner
On incoming goods add merchandise
ne stated that 50 cents per ton, as nou
charged, could be maintained and the
wharf, owner secure receipts sufficient 70
pay him amply, taken In connection with
the graduated charges ON outgoing
goods He also recommended that nc
outgoing wharfage be charged on freigh,
landed a. Seattle wharfs, en- route from
Portland, san Francisco, etc. and con
signed To purchasers outside Of seattle. As
the incoming wharfage of 50 cents was sui.
ncient. This would cause an increased
patronage of Seattle steamers ahd lead Il
larger trade through seattle. BY .mer-
chants paying all wharf charges on out
going shipments, the volume of business
done by Seattle houses would be much
greater. He fixed Is cents per ton as a rcas.
enable charge on outgoing goods.
III was accordingly moved by Mr.. Gatzeri
that committee be appointed 10 get tick.
cts printed and 10 confer with the several
wharf owners in making arrangements
such arrangements to be reported at the
next meeting. Capt Hatfield supported
the proposition and advocated the adop-
ton OF the motion.
Mr.. W. b. spencer, general freight agent
OF the Oregon Improvement Company, who
was present. was asked 10 make state
ment He thought that the establishment
OF 5eent minimum rate on packages was
too low, ss each parcel emit listed to the
company required the writing OF two ne
ceipts. one for the drayman and another
10 be signed by the purser of the steamer.
besides IL would be extremely tedious to
make collections at the end OF the month.
He named 10 cents as reasonable mini
mum charge.
"a Darr .s.f.w n r., -
the charge of 50cezts per ton made by the
company on the large quantity OF freight
received at Its wharyes would surely en-.
able them 10 tx the minimum tax AT )
cents without loss.
Mr. Furth proposed as az amendment %
Mr.. Gatzert's motion that tickets be pur-
chased from the several wharf-owncrS, and
thus save the trouble OF collecting as well
as the labor Of computing the amount TO
be collected from each shipper.
Mr.. Spencer gave this his support. as II
would lessen the work and prevent com
pIicaiious.
Mr.. Gatzert accepted the amendment.
vote and carried.
Mr.. A. d. Stewart moved that the com
mittee 10 superinfend the printing OF
tickets and TO confer with the wharf-own-
ers be made up of the president and see
Rotary Of the Board of Trade, Mr.. Is. Cat
EEAt Guu AhHts - n. AlHtuCi1t NAFElGG.
Mayor Moran asked the meeting to con.
slider the offer of Mr.. IL. L. Yesier, made to
the city, in which It was proposed to rent
the wharf to the city ut 500 per month.
As ether members of the city council were
present the mayor desired 10 hear the
opinion OF the Board Of Trade on the mat
ter.
Mr.. Furth gave 1t as his opinion that the
city, at the present time, could not afford
to pay the rent required. and was more in
favor Of the system just discussed If ii
could be established. The president con.
cured with these views Mr.. Gatzert said
there were various objections 20 rent
ing the wharf, chiefly among which
was the fact that all business could
not be transacted over this wharf, which
would lead 10 free wharfage in some cases,
and taxed wharfage In others. This would
create greater discomfort among purchas-
ers, as some houses here might supply q
certain patron with goods on which there
were no wharf charges, while another
house, which might not be able to utilize
the free wharf in forwarding goods
promptly, would be obliged TO ship from a
wharf where a tax was made and thus
cause the purchaser to pay more than in
the former cases.
IL was decided 10 hold over he'ofer
made by Mr.. Yesler until the report of the
committee is received.