The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-05-13
TRADE THAT BELONGS TO SAN
FRANCISCO BY LOCATION AND
DISCOVERY.

The adage that whom the Gods intend
to destroy they first make mad finds ex-
emplifcation in the published express
sions of Mr.. Castle, San Francisco Traf-
fc Association member, and Mr.. Leeds,
the manager of the Traffic Association.
Mr.. Castle says: ST gave up my grocery
business because my customers could
buy cheaper directly from the East than
could supply them, and that was be-
cause the railroad so ordered it." What
Mr.. Castle wants the railroad to order is
that his customers shall be forced to buy
OF him, and at such profit as Mr.. Castle
chooses to put upon his goods.
Of all the stupid, assanine confessions
which this controversy has called forth,
this statement of Fred. Castle that the
people of California are permitted to buy
in some other market than his, is the
most stupid. Proceeding, Mr.. Castle
says: 81 will give you an illustration.
The great tobacco territory Of the country
is the South, and st. Louis is the central
point. Tobacco ought to come here and
be distributed from this city by rail.
But the railroads want the long haul, and
they have so ordered things that nv Gus
toners say that they save cent and
half pound by dealing directly with
Chicago" The people of California
should take note of this statement. The
Southern Pacific Company have so regu-
lated rates that the people of California
can save cent and half pound on
tobacco, and this is one of the complaints
which President Castle of the Association
makes against that company.
Now what Mr.. Castle wants is that the
Southern Pacific Company shall fix it so
he will get that cent and half pound
out of his customers.f Here is a statement
that the railroads have fixed it so that
Mr.. Castles customers can buy some
where else at a cent and half pound
less than they can from him, and this is
put forth as cause of grievance. Verify
the mantle of the silent Stetson has not
fallen upon this maybe. The Traffic
Association ought to confine him in a
straightforward. He will tell all he knows
someday, and while it will not take him
eng, he will tell enough to expose all the
tFicks of the Traffic Association.
Traffic Manager Leeds is equally in
discreet. He says he wants railroad to
Salt Lake, and that such railroad could
force other lines to give San Francisco the
right to handle the trade that belongs to
it by location and discovery" This
claim for the right inherit in the dis
covery of trade is certainly novelty in
commerce. But Monterey preceded San
Francisco in the discovery of commerce
on this coast. San Francisco, therefore,
must have robbed Monterey of its right
by discovery. \ The assertion in Mr.
Leeds statement is that San Francisco
has the right to handle trade, and his
threat that it is going to enforce that right
viii not intimidate the people of Cali
fornia worth a cent. San Francisco has
no right to any trade that it cannot con-
quer by honorable competition, and it
won't get it. Neither the Legislature,
nor the Commissioners, nor the voters of
California viii declare that San Francisco
has right to handle any trade by reason
of discovery, and no man not talented
fool would have made a statement so
utterly devoid Of common sense as this.