The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-04-05
Special to the REcoRD-US1oS.

hECORD-ONION.
SAN Francisco, April 4.-The three
members of the Board of Railroad Com
missioners were present to-day at the
weekly meeting. Mr.. Leeds of the Traffic
Association was also present. Mr.. Rea
tiled another communication, which APP
pears in full below. Mr.. Leeds also filed
communication and q comparative
schedule, showing the difference in rates
on many commodities existing in Ne
braska and California.
The board first approved the minutes OF
the preceding meeting and then in
structed the Secretary to send word to
the Secretary of the National Convention
of Railroad Commissioners that the
board is unable to be represented at the
convention, and inviting the Commits
sioners to meet in San Francisco next
time
Then Mr.. Rea read his communication
which is as follows:
so the Executive Committee of the
Tragic Association Of California: The
Board of Railroad Commissioners of the
State OF California beg leave to direct
your attention to the official statement of
the commissioners, as TO their powers
and position with reference to the reVi-
sion of transportation schedules within
the jurisdiction of the board, filed and
made part of the records of the COM
mission on March q, 1892, copy of
which statement is hereby attached. On
the 18th day of March, 1892, j. S. Leeds.
purportlng to act as the representative OF
the Traffic Association of California,
came before this board with commune
cation upon the subject OF its powers and
n a o. naI TO ,,t oil 90
the position of the commission and inn
pugn the motives of the members which
compose 1t. This communication was re-
turned to Mr.. Leeds for the reason that it
was couched in terms Of such diScourteSy
TO the Commissioners, and filled with
such garbled, unfair and misleading ex-
cerptS from their official statements, as to
make it an improper document both in
form and substance for the files OF this
commission. We are slow to believe that
Mr.. Leeds represents the attitude Of the
Traffic Association of California toward
the members of this board, or its views
as TO the disposition of the commission in
the impending revision Of transportation
charges.
THE Board of Railroad Commissioners
has announced its entire readiness to
proceed With thorough and general
investigation of transportation rates and
TO make such a sweeping and compre-
hensiYe revision of the traffic schedules
as may be required in Justice TO all of the
industries and localities of California
whenever the machinery for its action is
set in motion by or on behalfof the Traffic
Association. The constitution of YOUR
organization states as its leading purpose
that of regulating traffic by overcoming
through united effort discrimination, in
equality and excessive carriage charges
II this is IA fdct the purpose OF the Traffic
Association of California it will find this
commission in accord with it as soon as
the association comes before it in the
manner suggested. by it's official state
ment and with the courtesy which the
position OF the commission as depart
ment of the State Government requires.
II, however, the purposes Of the Traffic
Association are other than that stated in
It's constitution, If its members and its
manager have some other motive in seek
ing to set in motion the powers and pro-
cesses of this commission than that of
procuring general revision of traffic
schedules for the benefit of all the in
dustries and localities Of California, the
Board of Railroad Commissioners are en-
titled to candor from the Traffic Associa-
ton and 10 know just what its real OBJ
jects are.
1T has been frequently asserted by
the merchants and the press of the inte-
rIor that the Traffic Association was not
trade and traffic for the whole State of
California, but only tor the benefit of the
merchants OF san Francisco, as against
the other terminal points OF tfansporta-
ton III the interior OF the State. 1t has
been brought to the attention of the Com
missioners that the membership of the
Executive Committee of the association is
drawn mainly from the mercantile houses
of San Francisco, and that such other
terminal points as San Jose, Stockton,
Los Angeles ana Sacramento have merely
perfunctory representation III the associa-
ton. The press and the merchants of
these terminal points claim that the real
object of the Traffic Association is to pro-
mote the commercial interests of the
wholesale houses of San Francisco and
that its purpose in coming before this
commission is to compel the transporta-
ton companies TO return to the former
condition of trade when San Francisco
was the only terminal point of traffic in
the State; when the railroad companies
were able to wiring double and treble
freight charges from the tradesmen of in
terror cities, thus placing them at the
mercy OF the wholesale merchants of the
metropolis.
''If the Traffic Association of California
has any such object in view; if the real
though hidden purpose is to procure the
Withdrawal of terminal advantages from
lish San francisco as the only terminal
point of transportation in California, it
may expect no aid from the Board of
Railroad Commissioners to attain its ends
1t is the belief and experience of this
commission that the erection of terminal
points at the various towns in the interior
has been very beneficial to those locali-
ties, and IL Will lend assistance to no
scheme, whether it emanates from the
Traffic Association or the transportation
companies, which looks toward the re-
moval or decrease of these terminals In
view OF these premises the commission
suggests to the Traffic Association that it
place itself before the commission and be-
fore the people of the State of California
candidly and fairly with reference to its
real purposes; that it define its objects
and state in a proper and verified COM
plant the discrimination, inequality and
excessive carriage charges which it
wishes the commission to correct. with
the assurance that its honest efforts in the
attainment of these ends will be furthered
by this commission to the full extent of
its constitutional powers
Mr.. Req moved that his communica-
ton be filed as a part of the records of
the Office, and that copy be transmitted
to the Executive Committee of the Traffic
Association of California. In making
this motion, Mr.. Rea said that he had two
objects. The first was that he wanted
the members of the Traffic Association,
ifthey were honest, to understand the
attitude of the board. This is, that the
board will hear any grievances that the
Traffic Association has TO present, with
the assurance that they will receive exact