The morning call., 1892-08-17
CUT RATES TO STOCKTON.
The War Between the Lines Be.
gins in Earnest.
Prospects Of a Teu.Cent Rate to Stockton
Before the Fight Is Finished.
Plenty Of Passengers

when the regular line of Stockton steam
ers dispatched the Mary Garratt from the
Olough City on Monday evening it was an
agretaole surprise to the passengers to fnd
that 50 cents would take them to San Fran
cisco, and that for 70 cents a day they could
make the round trip. The steamer came In
yesterday morning with a Geckload OF pas
sengers and freight, as might have been ex-
pected. The Dauntless of the new oppnsi-
ton line also came in yesterday morning
with every passenger berth engaged. but
the rate was 81. aud the directors of the
line say they propose that it shall remain at
that figure
AS matters now stand the tariff is thus:
California Navigation COMPANY (oid line)-
Passage TO or from Stockton. so cents;
round trip, 70 cents Chinese deck passage
either way, 25 cents; freight, 81 per ton.
Union, or new opposition line-Passage to
or fr ON Stockton, 81; Chinese on deck, %
ceats; freight ST per ton. Railroad-Pas-
sage TO or from Stockton, frst-cl ass 81 So
second-cIass 81 80. The companie are
really making the fight on the freight,
wh,ch The new line recently cut from 81 80
10 81 per ton, OF course compr ling the old
line to follow suit. Now the old line has
given warning that il the fight is 10 ge on
u VIII be TO the bitter en- ! that in few
days freight rates will be cut another 80
Tor % cents or even less.
Superintendent Martin Corcoran of the
OLD line Was interviewed by a CALL Ie-
porter yesterday and said his company is
ln The light 10 stay. lie claimed that there
is nothing for two lines that il is a case of
The survival Of the fittest, and the sooner
the end comes the better. To bring matters
10 a crisis an extra steamer, the Leader,
viii be put on next Monday, leaving the
Slough City on Mondays, Wednesdays and
fridays at p. NJ.
FREIGHT AND PASSENGERS.
The Leader will take freight and pas
sengers at the cut rates, arriving in this
city about A. NJ. She has lately been
taking the place of the Modoc of the Sac
ramento line aud will not carry passengers
on the return trip. The regular boat will
leave as usual at ) o'clock every aftern oen.
but the extra boat Will leave Stockton
ear lleT, as a special inducement, giving pas
sengers the opportunity of seeing the river
dark.
Mr.. Coreoran contends that the new COM
pany has been carrying passengers below
the regular rates for long time. and carry
ing freight at whatever Tatrs it could get.
III the%ar gees on freight rates may drop
TO Two cents a hundred. The fruit season
VIII last tail October, and then the late po-
tatoes VIII come In. so that there will be
plenty OF freight till December, but after
that things viii be very dull till y ay.
AS lor passengers. the steamers carry an
average oil 80 In summer and so in winter.
Most of them are for the terminal points,
stockton and San Francisco, but number
get OF at Antioch and Bouldin Island.
Ihe companies have adhered to the agree
ment not 10 employ runners, but in seme
way the rumOr ct the cut in rates by the old
line had become n0lSed abroad, aud any
number OF 50-eent tickets were sold yester-
day afternoon. The two ships lay nearly
SIDE by side. and the scene was quite
live ixF stasaraF .ffA II.
OF the year the night ride on the San
Joaquin is very romantic and beautiful and
many took the trip Tor the fun Of the thing,
returning by rail- from Stockton this
morning
President ellis of the opposition line was
in this city yesterday afternoon attending
a meeting OF tie local directors. To a CALL
reporter he said that the subject of fur
ther cut III passenger rates TO meet the 80
cent rate of the Old line had never even been
proposed, aud that the new line has done
all the rate-cuttiEg it proposes 10 do, namely,
10 81 Tor passengers and 81 for freight. He
said that the object which far more seriously
concerned the directors is the action OF the
State Harbor Commissioners in ordering
the new line to remove To MiSSon-street
wharf. The Dauntless made the last trip
from Clay street wharf yesterday, aud If the
new line docks here al all hereafter it must
be al Mission street
THE NEW DOCK.
The contention of the old line is that
while the new line is docking at Clay street
IL Is taking freight ana passengers that
properly belong to the old line aud would
have gone TO Washingt0n-street wharf as
matter OF course. 1t is also contended by
the cid line that If there is really room for
two lines as alleged, then there ought to be
10 dItnculty Tor the opposition line to build
up its business at Mission street The Har-
Dor Commissioners have taken this view of
the matter, and though President Giilis
cav no ha aNrfda In Faff
sore about it, These who profess to be well
acquainted with the situation predict that
the result would be that the new boats would
tie mp al Stockton.
The last war occurred three years ago.
and was the outcome of sn older one Be
fore peace was concluded the Stockton
steamers we're taking passengers at 10 cents
trip, and the bummers, tram and LOAF
ers Of the entire Pacific slope bestowed their
patronage on the enterprise With the Ut
most regularity and liberality. To the
average loaler river ride of i20 miles and
comfortable seat with the assurance of a
whole night and day on the water, and a
similar treat for another 10 cents was an
elyslum. Hundreds OF these people grayi-
tated between Stockton and San Francisco
as regularly as the beats of pendulum,
and nearly every steamer brought one or
more OF the gentry back in irons. This is
the trouble which the regular respectable
patrons OF the Stockton lines fear now if
the rates are cut below 80 cents. As soon
as this happens it becomes cheaper for a
certain class OF people to live on a steamer
than In a lodging house.
Meanwhile the air about Washington aud
MISSION street wharves is filled with wars
and rumOrs of wars, and lively times are
anticipated If the contest between the COM
paDles continues many days. The old COM
pany says 1t wilt fight it out on this line if
II taxes ali summer, while the~motto of the
new line Is mo surrender"