The morning call., 1893-03-03
!. .PANAMA ]. AND : .PAcIFIc MAIL,

.r
TIE true tnwatdnessof the thres-cernered
relatiens. between the Pacific Mail, the
PaDaaia Railroad and thu transeontIRehsaf
campapfes has been laid bare before
Congress-. Nav that fresh arran &c hTents
have beea nlade between tBe. Panama: Rail.
road Gonipany and the North American
Navigation Company there is perhaps less
c0mpanctiou or motive Ia Withholding de-
tails OF tie game Of e6llusion that has been
played, tostke great deirimant Of commerce,
but the exposure is SO. .unssFoIy that il may
bedoUbted whether Mt. Huntington gHa
tne Pacific Mall would have entered .npoH
tie examination rad they foTeseen all The
consequences II :, Houston. .vjee- president
s @of the Pacific Mail Company, gave explicit
Information as to the bargain with fhe
TraRscontnenta Association ANYTHING.
more disgusttngIy sefyile than thai bargain
: Can hardly be Imagined, Tie association
fixed the rates Of freight lily lie steamers.
The company made from $50 GEO to s4a,Oae
mouth on this freight, aDd the a ssuGiats6r
paid over the ditfstenee between that
amount and ST, coo. The receipts on:
freight above 1900 tons were divided be!
tween the parties. II ere then WAS sseaIl-
sllip Company receiving q sR5stantislGer@
eminent snbsidy:to pTUhhete :tiie com meTce
fthe seas binding Itself as aeifattst. 10 a.
!: number OF railroads, witb tile Supthe erh
Pacific as chief partner. The controlling
spirits OF Pacific Mail Interests were II unit
: ington, Gould and Russell Sage. They also
+ nanipulatedthe franscpBtifental Assoeia-
p: tiou. AiE, Houston jestifes fhis corrupt
bargain, when is utterly at variance with
public policy. on the ground that Ii gave
Stability. Of rates! Stability Of rates, fer
soothl There WAS stability forthe railroad
. companies but The public. were plqndeted.
and deprived Of any benefit that adcilles
:. from pnietteref remmerea, Ard besides
fixing freight rates THE 4ransp0ntiaensal:
Association: regulated passenger rates.
There is grim hpmor In the statement thar
so helpless was the Pacific Mall IN The hands
Of the association thatit hatdly carried any
body but inyaIids ard deaffeads. The
cash passengers gert To the railroads, Il.
Under these pitffuily distressing eircan-
stances it. Is not easy: to see 9tsiat ans nav
arrangement with the:# Panama ItaiiI6sd
COMPANY could noSsIbiy i0jUre American
commerce more than il las brsa retarded
and restricte1in: the past. Bnt Mr.. Hous-
: TONS objnction'tO new faai fstllat if1witl
cause rates 70 anetaate. He. has no oDjec-
tien to.faies bal ng OPP ppFes I've and coAstant,
provided the trans cont htinental railroads and
the Pacific Nail hayes the benefit, hut wljen
RnofheT cofIpang e1HIes on tlre srene NIL fis
spQifea.. What was last and rea sonatyie in
: one=case. beeofae s the 5reYR4se in; the other
Competisipn.ts abtoriad,. Tie pabi4c may
: bEneft by G6npetirtBn, but in 4natters Of
tran pbFiatipn tire public slonid only be
thgAEllt; Bf t9 be 1Recetl, The reasoning is
delightfully."- aTt9es aud transparent, and
no. wonder the Congressional committee
sIniie d asthey ljstepett.e AS TO the S ,6o9 a
month paid by the Government. AIr. aoas-
3 toli@regards it. as a mere dole, haTnperfRg tie
PaeIfc:M Ma more than anything else. or
course the aceep4an ce 5of Til pecaniary
drfblets fnwottfs Of the. dlgiil fed name If
subsidy; .fsnot :fir i. nGo eIatft To- be cousid-
cred an'tag6nistie tez a. policy of pfamdtng
coIilnieree, .wh lie Pre- efessing 10 gtYe:it en-.
:eoufsgement. Tie company took lis bribe
from The railroads tn.sliae competition; IL
accepts the Eo4erhf1enl subsidy TO deYelon
Commerce.. For one side THE steamers are
uRdeTst TODD 10 gosiow; for the o ther Interest
a pretense IS made OF getting up steam.
Mr. Honston's ideas of TRANSFORMATION. are
CONSERVATIVES. as wel1:as coueise. He thinks
that il there were only one. railroad in the
United States It would: be better for the
people. This opinion he might test in trade
: by coming to-. San francisco and settling
down as a merchant. San Francisco has