The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-04-07
DoDGING THE ISSUE.


The Bulletin is unfair, not to say dis
honest, in lodging the issue raised by the
REcoRD-UNToN as to the disposition of
the Traffic Association concerning
through points in the State. 1t says that
the Sacramento REcoRD-UNIoN is MAX
ing desperate effort to persuade the pro-
ducers of the interior OF the State that
they will be better off, etc.
The Bulletin knows, if it knows any
thing whatever of the subject it attempts
TO discuss, that the Traffic Association is
doing nothing and intends to do nothing
for the producers of the State, but that
the entire contest is between merchants.
Through its columns merchant COM
planned that upon certain classes of goods,
in which he was dealing, the rate to
San Francisco from Chicago was 81 70
per hundred, and that the rate from Chi
cago to Fresno, shorter distance, was
81 per hundred. He also complained
that the through rate to San Francisco,
Notwithstanding it was lower than to
Fresno, when added to the local rate from
San Francisco to Fresno, gave Chicago
an advantage in that market.
If the Bulletin wishes TO discuss this
question fairly, let it remember that both
the San Francisco and the Fresno mer-
chant buy goods in Chicago. Now, what
the San Francisco merchant wants is that
the rate given to him, both through and
local. shall be such as to force the Fresno
merchant to buy in San Francisco instead
of in Chicago. Here are two merchants
San Francisco merchant buys goods in
Chicago; likewise, a Fresno merchant
buys goods at the same place. Now. the
san Francisco merchant demands of the
transportation interest that a rate be
given to San Francisco which will deny
to the merchant in Fresno the right to
purchase his goods in the same market
with the merchant of San Francisco
What this California-street merchant
meant by his plaintive wall in the Bulle-
tan was that he wanted a monopoly on
buying goods in Eastern cities and at the
same time a monopoly on selling goods
to California cities.
AIhe Traffic Association was organized
by the merchants of San Francisco for
the accomplishment of local purposes. 1t
employed discarded Traffic Manager of
an Eastern railroad to work out for it a
schedule of prices which would confer
upon San Francisco monopoly of the
merchandising business of the coast. AS
to the position of the producer in this
controversy he simply has none. The
merchant who complained through the
columns of the Bulletin that the rate to
san Francisco from Chicago was 81 rs per
hundred would charge exactly the same
price on his goods if the rate was reduced
to 81. The purchaser of pair of shoes or
of a suit of clothes is never made con-
scious in the price he pays that freights
have been reduced. The freight on a
single suit Of clothes from Chicago to San
Francisco and thence back to any town
in the interior has no influence on its
selling price. The freight on a single
pair of shoes from Chicago to San Fran
cisco never amounted to two cents, and
If it cost absolutely nothing to bring the
shoes by rail the mercantile price for the
article would remain the same.
The producers of the State are not de-
ceived in these matters. This entire con-
troversy is simply between merchants.
and the reduction of freight which the
Traffic Association asks is not reduce
ton to every point in the State. 1t is a
commercial advantage TO the city of san
Francisco that is being sought. Nor is
any reduction asked in the interest of the
customer. San Francisco would care
nothing for the rate of freight; it is the
relative freight rate in which she is most
deeply interested.
We again call the attention of the Rail-
road Commissioners of the State of Cali
fornia to the question as to whether the
freight rates from Eastern cities to what
are known as terminal points are the
same as TO San Francisco. Inquiry in
this direction win disclose some very in
teresting facts. 4
A Local, APPEAL