The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-28
STOLEN TARIFFS.
Why Fourteen Clerks Were
Discharged.
Some Dishonest Southern Pacific EN-
pIoye Fooled Newspaper on Com
ing Local Freight Reductions.

There will be fourteen vacant chairs in
the tariff department of the Southern Pa
ciic Company at Fourth aud Townsend
streets to-day. Fourteen clerks will be
seeking pastures new, all because one of
their unlucky number has allowed himself
TO be tempted, so the report runs.
The good officials of the Southern Pacific,
whose time and attention lately have been
concentrated in AN endeavor to convince the
people of California that competition Is not
good for them, woke bright ana early yes
terday morning and shortly after glanced
over the columns OF the daily papers, as is
their habit, to see whether the Traffic Asso-
citation had been heard from or whether the
kind Mr. Huntington mad dictated any mere
kilograms Of a benevolent nature regarding
freights.
Much 80 the establishment of aforesaid
braces Of the charge-all-t he-tra ffic- wil!-bear
organization on the third page OF loca
journal appeared about one column Of the
cOmpany's class rates used as a bass for
proratlng accounts and as a guide to its
clerks in the tariff department.
over said column Of unofficial figures was
the astounding announcement. in heavy
headlines that the Southern Pacific Com
pany had decided to reduce its local schedule
prices; that the figures quoted were official,
and that merchants generally would be al
part of the State at reduction in freight
charges averaging about 30 per cent all
through.
The heads of the corporations depart
ments could scarcely believe their eyes.
They knew the figures were unofficial and
that no such rates as quoted were contem-
plated.
A consultation Of war was held.
Later special meeting of the directors
was called and the questions discussed
were: WHO of our employees has been
tempted to betray his trust: what means
were used by his tempter to inveigle him
into parting with copy OF the proratDg
sheet, ana what incentive led him to palm
il off as an official TARIFF"
Il WAS decided to discharge in a bunch all
the clerks who had been working on the
rates and not TO reinstate them until the
real culprit was revealed to General Freight
Auditor Mr.. Smurr.
The news fell like thunderbolt among
the fourteen clerks who were unfortunate
enough TO have been assigned to the duty of
the adjustment OF tariff rates and ac-
counts.
An indignation meeting was held and the
seller of the sheet which contained the
dummy rates and the purchaser of same
that is, the boys claim strenuOusly that
there was a purchaser-were the objects of
much indignant comment
One of the discharged young gentlemen
said last evening: 1--WE intend TO get To-
gether and II necessary employ aid in help
ing US to uneaTth the cuiprit | think n
newspaper must be pretty hard up for news
that has to take to securing il by bribery.
and that's my opinion of how the tariff
sheet was obtained. There is not any pos
sible way that the paper could have got ont
of the Office except it were taken out by
some one ID the employ Of tie tariff de-
partment.
No one was going to Voluntarily give 1t
to the press, SO you can draw your own
conclusion"
General Freight Agent Smurr, by whose
decision the discharges were made, stated
in reply to an inquiry that he was sure the
sheet was taken from the Office by an en-
ploye.
He said: when the clerks tell who stole
the figures then will give them back their
old position, but not before.
The figures we're not official but simply
m nimum rates used to guide clerks in COM
piliHs tariffs"
Tho gentleman would have nothing to
say on the subject of proposed reduction.
An officer closely allied to the general
freight agent said that the railroad mad
not come 10 any conclusion on the local
freiehting situation at all. The stolen
tariff was the same the clerks had been
working on for some time.
The news that lie tariff DEPARTMENTS nro-
rating sheet had been stolen and pub IS he'd
as an "vfficiaP' list of reduced freight
changes caused great deal of mlrth among
the employees OF the railroad Office at Fourth
and Townsend streets.
In 90 q.