The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-08

There Are Plenty Of Coed Strong Facts
in Them for Our National Legis.
latOrS TO Consider.

"Well, THE CALL has stirred 'em up,
that's true"
Il should say 1t had. Look at those articles
published in March. They have been
printed in book form by THE CALL and cir
culated broadcast all over the country.
They have gone all the way from Van
couver to Tallahassee, from Guaymas TO
Augusta. They are being read very ex-
tensvely. too. And now Bowers has got
hold of them and is using them as his chief
ammunition in the fight against the Pacific
Mail"
"Well. IT'S a good fight. This coast has
suffered long enough from the combination
of that company with the railroads The
Pacific Maifs policy is just what THE CALL
has labeled it-a policy of plunder."
This is the way the merchants are talking
about "Fettered Commerce, little book
published by THE CALL, containing the
most notable OF its recent Pacific Mail
articles.
The readers Of THE CALL are familiar
with these articles. put it is well that they
should know how ''Fettered Commerce"
has been introduced to Congress. On the
frs page Of the book Is the following short
address:
TO OUR NATIONAL LEGISLATORS.
A transport alton company is given a liberal
subsidy by the United States Government for
the purpose OF encouraging commerce. Is IL
legal, is t right for that company To receive
compensation from other carriers for the pur-
pose OF throttliBg competition?
There Is a remedy for this Our legislators
know what tBat remedy Is aud how 10 apply IL.
San Francisco asks for such treatment az the
hands OF Congress as viii afford her relief from
the results OF the unholy compact between the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company aud The Trans
continental Association. She feels that she has
a right 10 make this request, and that IL Is the
duty OF our national legislators 10 heed IL.
RnnAf 10 Ifif n ~
once suggest itself.
San Francisco, April 6, 1892.
Then comes this address to the public,
which is the preface to the book, and is fol-
lowed by chapters .sr, headed, Fourteen :,
''Throtting Competition; "The Shippers
Aroused; Outrageous Freight Charges" !;
"The City's Trade Diverted" "Co fee
Rate Discrimination" "San Francisco's
Lost Tea Trade; High Rates for Short
Hauls"; How the City Is Bled"; Pacific
Mails Lassitude." and What the Mer-
chants Say:
TO THE PUBLIC.
people OF generous Impulses is always likely
10 he imposed upon.
The extent OF the imposition may be great or
small. Even though great. II may be overlooked
for time, but If il be insisted upon for many
years, there will at last come day when the
people Will resent It's wrongs, and will rise up
and cry out against them.
No more striking instance OF the facts named
can be found anywhere than that OF the present
attitude OF the generous noble, long suffering
people of San Francisco toward the freight trans.
pOrtatlon mOnOpolies.
The great transcontinental railroads are allied
with the Pacific Mall Steamship Company 10
throttle competition In The carrying trade.
Now, every one ought 10 be ready to admit that
commerce by sea should be as free as the wind
In nearly every case it ls but In the case OF the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company It Is not.
The railroads. by special contract with the Pa
eitic Mail ever since the year 1877, hays had
their own way as 10 freight rate-making by sea
as we'll as by land between The Atlantic coast
and the Pacific.
Heavy subsidies have been paid, ranging from
$4,000 month 10 $4,000, 10 the Mall Com
pany by the railroads 10 stte competition aud to
keep up Iates OF freight at standard OF "al the
traffic will bear"
Strange, is ii not, that the people of California
should have borne this imposition for nearly
10 years without having made one effective
protest?
See how far-reachlng is the effect OF this com.
tion.throttl!Dg arrangement:
1t makes the cost of living very high.
IL makes the shippers profits very small.
Ii places strong check upon immigration.
Ii retards The growth OF trade.
Ii makes general prosperity impossible.
The san francisco MORNING CALL. in a Sc
rles of stirring articles on this subject, has
shown many important facts in relation thereto
that never before have been brought to pub
lie attention.
Ii has shown that the amount of the subsidy
paid by the Southern ana Central Pacific and
other railroads 10 the Pacific Mail TO throttle
competition and maintain high rates or freight
has in IA years amounted TO Si4,555.000.
This money, THE CALL claims. has been prac-
fically speaking so much pupder taken from San
Francisco and given to the Mail Company
This assertion Is borne out by the testimony Of
large number or shippers, printed In The
CALL.
II is also maintained that the mali company is
showing lisIess spirit With relation TO the car
riage of freight between New York and San
Francisco. Its own agents admit that they do
not care TO quote rates of freight to San Fran.
cisco shippers on shipments from New York to
California The Mail Company is keeping out of
The traffic as much as t eau, and Is relying upon
its subsidy from the railroads TO great extent
for It's earnings IL also receives large subsidy
from the Government
In an article published In The CALL on March
s, 1892. tile shippers OF San Francisco are
quoted as being very much In favor OF petition
Ing Congress to withdraw the subsidy paid by
the Government, on the ground OF It's Illegal
compact with the railroads. The covert manner
In which the railroad subsidy is paid TO the Mail
Company is also shown In that article. The rail-
roads pay a rental OF $4,000 month to the
Pacific Mail for space IN It's steamers. Some
times the space taken is filled with freight but
more generally il Is not, aud the steamship COM
pany then has The room TO fill up its steamers
with Central American freight, taken at very
high rates.
In several Of THE CALL articles reference Is
made TO the fact that San Francisco is prac-
tieally barred out OF the Central American trade
because OF the "perpendicular rates. that are
charged by the Pacific Mail on nearly every
class OF freight. Ii costs as much 10 ship \ ton
OF mel chandse from San francisco 10 the Gen.
tral American ports as IL does To ship IL clear
across the Pacific TO Australia or China. al
though the distance In the latter eases Is TWO or
three times as great.
lisIeJ on March 21, that the Pacific Mail, being
heavily subsidized. Is ready 10 let all classes
OF freight slip away from u, aud away from San
Francisco. Particular reference Is made 10 tea
In that article and tits shown that through the
indifference 10 its own aud to San Fran
cisco's interests that port has lost much
IF It's paeo sa Ms ans ans rates tss rs9oss,
tea from Yokohama to Salt Lake City, Denver
and Missouri River points are 2S4 cents pouHd,
while from Yokohama to the same points via the
Northern Pacific or Union Pacific lines Of steam
ers or sailing vessels Tie rate Is only rs cents
| pound. San Francisco merchants are actually
| importing tea for customers In Salt Lake City
| through Portland instead of through their own
In another article 1t Is shown that it is cheaper
| TO ship Brazilian coffee from Rio de Janero TO
/ Chicago, or even TO Denver, via New YORK tnan
Ii is 10 SHIP Guaemalan coffee to those citles VIA
| San Francisco. because OF the enormous charges
| made by the steamship monopoly and the rail.
! roads, which are discriminating against San
| Francisco In every way possible. The rate on
| coffee from New York TO San Francisco Is 81 30
| per 100 pounds while rate OF 81 30 per 10C
| pounds Is charged to the San Francisco shipper
| of GuatemaIan coffee, even though he desires tC
| ship his coffee for no greater distance than that
| from San francisco 10 Denver.
| 1t Is shown that the Pacific Mail has two
| schedules OF freight rates-one for It's fayorile
| shippers and another for the persons whom 4
| does not care 10 favor.
! THE CALL also tells a striking story regarding
/ the loss of the China cotton trade TO San Fran
| cisco; thousands OF tons of cotton that used Il
| be carried by tile Pacific Mail has been permitted
| to Slip away from that company's control and G,
/ 10 Its competitors.
Ali this Is a great loss to San Francisco.
Geographically considered, much Is due to tht
| city by the Golden Gate. Her treatment by th,
| transportation companies Is very, very shabby
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