The record-union., 1892-07-02
SUPPLEMENTAL TRAFFIC.
Plain Truths Told by San Francisco
Newspaper.
People should Master the Primitive
Problems of Transportation Be-
fore Discussing Them.
Tsan Francisco Post, July 1st.I

san FRANCISCO fOSt, july ISL.
There appeared in an evening paper
published in this city recently a state
lnent from gentleman at Tulare, COM
pairing the rate on nails from San Fran
CISCO to Tulare with the freight rate on
the same commodity from Pittsburg,
Penn, to New York. He says he paid
S44 So from San Francisco to Tulare,
which, when compared to the carriage
from Pittsburg to New Y ork, would make
the rate on the Pennsylvania system
1 32-100 cents per ton per mile, whereas
the actual rate from Pittsburg to New
York .on the Pennsylvania system was
but SLIGO cents per ton per mile. We
presume this statement to be true. In
fact, we presume the Southern Pacific
Company would admit it to be true.
Proceeding from the standpoint of the
truth of this comparison-tha is, con-
ceding the difference of rate per ton per
mile to be in favor of the Pennsylvania
saystem on nails from Pittsburg to New
York, as against the rate charged in Cali
fornia from San Francisco to 1ulare, and
no case is made against the transporters
of this State. The fact is that iron and It's
product constitute one of the principal in
dustries of Pennsylvania. The Tulare
correspondent and the evening paper in
question should master the primitive
problems of transportation before they
attempt to discuss them.
IN the first place, there is very large
volume OF shipment OF iron and its pro-
ducts FROM Pennsylvania to New York,
and very large return transportation
from New York to Pennsylvania. Chan
nels OF commerce, where supplementing
commerce is found, necessarily accom-
modate themselves to lower rates, but be-
yond this the principal industry Of any
country is the basis of commerce, and
the one fact which every one who at
tempts to discuss this question must keep
plainly in view is that natural commerce
is supplemental as to the direction of the
carriage-that is, the carriage of aproduct
from point induces return transpOrta-
ton. The people at one point sell what
they produce for the purpose Of purchas-
ing articles they desire TO buy. 1t fol-
lows that the principal industry of any
country is the basis of sall return trans
portation. The principal industry of the
people living in Chico, in this State, is
wheat-growing and Embarrassing. They
raise wheat and fruit for the purpose of
purchasing dry goods, furniture, pictures,
musical instruments and supplying, in
short, all the diversified wants of civil
lZed life. The freight carried from Chico
TO the markets OF the world creates all the
purchasing power of the people OF that
locality, and they buy goods OF a higher
class than the commodities they sell.
The low rate accorded TO the principal
lndustry of a country has in it the mo-
tive of the return transportation, which
is of more profitable description Green
fruit is carried from California points to
New York at 9l-IG0 cents per ton per
mile. 1t is carried by fast passenger
service, being a rate of speed double that
OF ten years ago. This, when the charac-
ter Of the service, the perishable nature of
the commodity carried and all other facts
are taken into consideration, is the cheap
est freight rate in the United States. It
is accorded by the railroad system of
California and connecting lines because
the commodity carried is the substantial
basis of the whole commerce carried East
and West.
Raisins earn to the companies carrying
them to New York but S6-l00 cents per
ton per mile; beans but 67-10O cents per
ton per mile and wine but 61-l00. All
these commodities are the products of the
orchards, gardens and vineyards Of Cali
fornia. and these constitute the para
mount industries of the State.
Railroads everywhere make concessions
to this class of freight, because the inter
ests of the railroads are identical with the
interests of those engaged in the para
mount industries of any country. Rail
roads favor this class of product because
the successful marketing of the product
of a country covers the basis of all pros
perity-railroad as well as other pros
perity.
For the purpose of reducing this to the
level of the most inattentiye comprehen-
sion, let it be understood that all COM
merce means the exchange of commodi-
ties between different countries having
different products; that the incoming and
outgoing freight of any country in the
world is naturally supplemental; that the
products of the coal and iron mines of
Pennsylvania constitute the great founda-
ton of the industries of that common
wealth; that the prosecution of these in
duStrleS determines the purchasing power
Of the inhabitants Of that State: that the
incoming or supplemental traffic will be
proportional to the purchasing power
conferred by the export. Thus there is
perfect unity between the export and the
import traffic of every country in the
world. When, therefore, an individual
or a newspaper seeks to institute COM
parisons of the freight rates between two
countries having differing paramount in
dustries, there is a disclosure of very
dense ignorance Of the whole subject. If
any fair-minded person desires to insti-
tute comparisons between freight rates on
the Pacific Coast or California and on the
Atlantic seaboard, as in Pennsylvania or
New York, the comparison should be in
stituted between articles having the same
relation TO the fundamental commercial
and industrial interests Of the countries
brought into comparison. Let the freight
rates upon the paramount industries of
the various countries be compared.
ADJUSTMENTS
JoI