The morning call., 1892-03-27
HERE IS YOUR CHANCE, COLLIS
Keep Your Promise and Make
Low Rates to Producers.
G.vs Shippers an Opportunity to Market
Their Half Million Sacks Of Potatoes in
Texas or the East

can pFDdftcf tHc quunf1fU ana QftGfffU
food Tor 7ndn that our California does or
can: and The Southern Pacific Co,npany ,riII
transport these products TO any country that
is reached by its tines running orer the land
OF OceT' TIE seas at "a price that sriU satisfY
the produce, II the quantity IS Increased as
it ought TO be."-C. y. Huntington.
Why don't you Go il. then?
There are over 5O0oC0 sacks of potatoes in
this market, which could be shipped to
Iowa, Illinois. Arkansas or Texas il you
would make living rate on them to tie
shipper
Now. Mr.. Huntington. why do you not
do that? Why did you not DO it when
the potatO-dealers were clamOring for low
rates six months ago?
You say that if California will increase
her products you will reduce your rates.
If anybody had The least faith In your dec
laration it would be very strange. for your
rolicy for years has been Numerically op-
posed to ii.
Why is it. Mr.. Huntington, that you dis
courage production?
Do you find il profitable proceeding?
Would you not make more money if you
encouraged il?
But we do encourage it" you say
How?
BY making higher rates on California
dried fruit within this State than are made
oy the lines In Minnesota on that product?
by charging three times as high rate on
farming implements and machinery than do
any OF the other large railway systems west
of the Mississippi River?
BY charging such rates on farm products.
notably potatoes, as TO make the sending of
them to market impossible, and letting them
rot in the sacks?
BY makng the rates on potatoes from
San Francisco to Texas twice as high as
they are from other equidictant distributing
points?
Yes. that is the way you encourage home
Industry in California.
Our people are very. very tired of this
sort of thing.
But change is coming Avenger Leeds
IS Oh your tran, Mr.. Huntington, and the
rallr al rpsaw, otherwise known as the
Irafhc Association, will soon begin TO hum
Ihe day OF retribution is not far away
New potatoes are In the market in good
shlppang quantities. selling at a cent a
pound, said prominent produee-dealer to
GALL reporter last evening, 'aud there
are half million sacks of old potatoes in
the State that cannot be sold for hng-feed
There is trade in Texas, Indian Territory
and IN every State west of The Missouri
hver Ior our potatoes, except in Kansas.
Missouri aud Iowa. and in those States in
certain parts there is market for part of
our surplus products. Sometimes we get
still further east. In the last six months
We nave been cut out of that Eastern terri
tory almost entirely, for the reason that
this year Kansas, Missouri and Iowa have
Rau as large and as good crops as Caifor-
MIA. Those States have been in COMPETE
ton with Us, and they got the trade for the
reason that they have been favored by 60
cent rate 10 Texas and points which can
not be reached from California ex-
cept by The payment Of n 9Q-cent rate
Ii was understood among prOduce-deai-
ers that {. T. Huntington had said that if
the merchants would show him that there
was an oVerproducllOn that had created de-
morallzatlon in trade in any line, he would
see that remedial rates were established in
those lines. Acting on this UNDERSTANDING
meeting OF produce men was held in this
city about six months ago. All the railroad
agents were invited and nearly all were
present. {. L. Sumner and g. w. Fletcher
representatives of the Southern Pacific
Company were present. and their attentio
was then called TO the fact that there were
thousands OF sacks of potatoes on the
wharves and thousands of sacks through
the interior Of the State that were being
offered ut from - to 30 cents sal, bat
could not be sold for the reason that the
freight rate was too high TO permit their
prOntab bic removal from the State
lit was shown to these gentlemen by let
tiers ana kilograms received from produce
houses East that If 6O-cent rate could be
secured we could sell all OF our potatoes 10
Texas points. The Southern Pacific repre
sentatiyes found these statements TO be-
true, and practically admitted the existence
OF the situation outlined.
Ihey then said that the Transcontineptal
Association would not allow the establish
ment oil a 60-cent rate, and the result Won
see to-day in the fact that there are now in
this State hall million sacks of potatoes
mat cannot be sold az any price while Colo
rano and Kansas continue TO send their no.
tatoes into the market from which ours are
practically excluded by the freight tariff.
All that tue merchants asked was TO be nut
on competing basis with those States
Eight years ago, when communications were
first established with Texas points by way
OF san An tonic, the Southern Pacific Com
pany gave a rate of GO cents and allowed
Shippers the privilege of making upa car
load with cabbage and other vegetables
Our products were appreciated, and the
trade grew until 1t assumed significant pro-
portions.
Then the rate vas advanced, and now
business is straDgled. Merchants have adj
vanced thousands of dollars TO the farmers.
and the latter by their inability to sell their
| produce cannot pay their debts. The stuff
they nave shipped TO their consIgnees here
will not pay the freight charges already in
Cured. In The case of potatoes tie railroad
companies have oyerreached themselves
| III they had kept TO the rule of charging all
| that the traffic would bear there would have
| been no complaint. but tile potato tariff has
been actually prohibitory. In this line
reformation of local tariffs would no benefit
the producer or the shipper. lower
through freight alone could have saved the
potato-growers aud shippers The Traffic
Association Is making good fight perhaps,
on the locai-rateS proposition. but the Gall
fornia producer is suffering for reformed
through-ireight tariff. His fight is with the
Iranscontnental Association"