The morning call., 1892-06-19
THE TEA TRADE.
How the Southern Pacific Ruined
1t Locally.
Tacoma Made the Distributing Point for All
Points West Of the Missouri-Mid-
night Fruit Trains East.

Yesterdays dispatches from Tacoma an
nounced that the arrival Of the first OF the
Northern Pacific Railroads new trans
Pacific steamers from Hong Kong was made
the occasion OF a demonstration.
Cannons were fred, whistles were blown,
and the town Of Tacoma celebrated the
event in regular boom style.
All this is Of great deal Of significance to
the local tea trade, and means much more
than the uninitiated are aware Of.
l. is no more nor less than an open deela-
ration that San Francisco is no long er the
tea distributing center of the United States
il has been for many years, and that owing
70 the peculiar tactics of the Southern Pa
eic Company We are deprived Of another Of
the formerly important industries.
The tea tariff question is somewhat his
torieaL although its recent disastrous deYel-
opments date only about year back.
It was about that time that the local i'm
poTters lodged a complaint with the Trans
continental Traffic Association, setting
forth that the local freight rates charged by
the Southern Pacific 10 points west Of the
Missouri were so excessive that competition
with Eastern houses was made almost i'm
possible for them.
St Louis, Chicago and New York houses
received through shipments from the Orient
at rates which allowed them margin on
San Francisco firms, who were compelled to
pay local rates to the Kentucky corporation.
The merchants here asked that the Trans
continental Association look into the matter
and compel The Southern Pacific to estab-
lish schedule Of tea rates for them 10 pro-
portion to the Oriental through rates en-
jOYed by the Eastern dealers.
The transcOHtinentsl people saw the JUS
tice Of the claim, and gave judgment in
favor Of the San Francisco tea houses, out
the Southern Pacific remained stubborn,
ana rather than reduce its TUin0us rates on
tea, abandoned the trade in that line as
much as possible.
Ever since. some of our largest local
dealers have found it to their advantage TO
ship their teas TO points west OF the Missouri
by water to Portland, Oregon, and thence TO
their destination.
II was cheaper for them to take this round
about way 10 supply their customers, than to
pay the Southern Pacific's charges.
The Northern Pacific, the Union Pacific
and the Canadian Pacific, however, have
taken advantage OF the situation, and the
arrival Of the steamer referred to made tho
citizens Of Tacoma jubilant because it in
augurates for them period during which
their port will be made distributing mar
ket for one Of the most important products
the United States imports from the Orient.
1t Is IN this negative manner the Fourth
and Townsend people built up the commerce
Of the State and of this city.
The midnight fTuit-tTains leaving SacTa-
mento regularly for Chicago are a great
success, and from IA to 10 cars are dis
patched every "a hours, besides those which
are attached to regular fast trains The
wheat crop is arriving in slO WHY so far,
averaging only about 80 cars daily now,
but the season has barely commenced, and
will not be fully on for four weeks yet.
Charles Mould, one Of the oldest and
most popular conductors Of the San Fran
cisco and North Pacific Railroad, died on
Friday night at his home in Cloverdale, and
will be buried tomorrow. He was about
40 years of age, and leaves widow and
two children.