The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-13
NOW AS TO COFFEE.


RATES ARE ALL AGAINST THE LOCAL
DEALERS.
Brazil" said a big cofee-dealer yester-
day, ''ean ship her coffee to New York and
On to Chicago, St. Louis, Omaha and even
as far west as Denver and Santa Fe at one
hall the freight rates charged BY the steam
and rail monopoly which runs the business
between Guatemala and the Eas tern cities
via San Francisco"
The merchant took out his pencil and pad
and jotted down these figures:
Rates per
100 pounds.
Bio de Janeiro to Chicago via New York 80
San Jose de Guatemala to Chicago via
San Francisco &C.. -.......-..-.. .... Sf42IS
Rio de Janeiro TO Denver via New York 1.25
San Jose de Guatemala to Denver via
san Francisco -------.--.. ............. 1924
THAT shows plainly enough where San
Francisco stands as a great distributing CEN
ter for Central American coffee. How do
you like the picture?"
Ought San Francisco TO control the Col
orado and New Mexico coffee trade under
usual conditions?"
Why. we ought to have four times the
trade there that we have We were better
OF In this respect six years ago than we are
now. We used to be able to sell Central
American coffee in New Mexico. Now we
don't sell any there. Denver, which, asyou
can see by the map, is right at our doors, is
as lar away from us in the way of trade as
II she were located in Europe. We sell
very little coffee there-hardiy a carload
year.
when you consider the fact that the dis
lance around by New York from Rio de
Janelro TO Denver IS yearly twice as great
as IS from Guatemala to Denver via San
Francisco, we surely ought to have at
least equal rates on coffee. But ere, you
note, the rate is more than three times as
much TO Denver via San Francisco than it
Is from RIO to Denver via New York. The
steamship lines hauling the Brazilian coffee
are content to charge low rates aud get
large business, but The Pacific Mail, work
ing under big subsidies from the Govern
ment and the railroads. does not seem to
care TO increase its freightage, and goes on
year in and year out on the same old basis.
Its regular rates on coffee from Guatemala
70 ban francisco are 62R cents hundred
pounds. When you add this to the high
railroad rate OF 81 30 to Denver you see il
runs the rate up to ST 92k. which is
the rail rate from this city to Denver on any
GRADE oil coffee is 81 30, to Chicago it is only
10 cents. This looks as if an attempt was
made 10 shut US out of the business in the
intermountain region, which properly be-
longs to US. and to give it over to the New
York dealers"
Another large coffee called atten-
ton To The TACT that while the rate froG. San
francisco TO Denver was 81 80 a hundred
pounds on Central American coffee, the rate
IRON New 1 ork to SaE Francisco on the
highest grades Of Mocha and Java coffee
was only 81 35. The Rio de Jaueiro coffee
pays the same rate. for under the railroad
tariff coffee is coffee no matter what the
quality. This shows a discrimination in
favor OF New \ ork dealers right In our own
home market.
"San Francisco ought to sell Central
american coffee ali over the Western
States. Our trade ought to be increased
from year 10 year instead Of being de-
creased. as 1t Is 1 tell you. this Pacific
Mall and railroad combination Is more in
furious to San Francisco's Interests than a
great confagration could be. We could re-
build the town, but it would be mighty hard
TO rebuild lost trade, und er the conditions
that now rule US. During the furry in
rates six years ago, when the railroads were
fighting each other. the coffee trade OF this
city was nearly quadrYpled, but as soon as
down TO a surprising extent, and has re-
manned In q feeble state ever since.
Il don't maintain that railroad rates
should be cut down as low as thoy were
then, but IL they were twice as high as DUR
ing the furry, and the Pacific Mail would
stand in with US and favor San Francisco
little instead Of fayoring all the rest of Gre
alton and charging Us the top-notch rates,
We could make our trade double what it is
in less than six months. / am not talking
for effect. but am stating facts.
Nov as for Brazilian coffee. 1t Is cheap
stuff alongside Of the Guatemalan article.
and II naturally cells we'll among people
who want cheap article, but 1t is rated
no lower from New York to San Francisco
than are other coffees, nor any lower when
shipped from San Francisco 70 New York.
On this article Of freight the rates are
always the same, whether the coffee 10 high