The morning call., 1893-06-08
THE SILVA HURTS.
The Railroad Proceeds to
Fight.
A TRANSFER WAR ON, TOO.
The Southern Pacific Sits on a RiS-
ing Monopoly" by Cutting
Rates Up the Creek.
A TRANSFER WAR ON, TOO

the Southern Pacific Company war may
be expected. That is the result of the
Whitney. Standard and Oakland transfer
Company's move In putting into opera
tiOn the steamer Frank Silva.
The new competing ferry line has not
got fairly started yet. but the Southern
Pacific Company has already gone at its
across-the-bay freight tariff with broad
ak and rate war between San Francisco
and Oakland is fully on.
The war is not confined to freight rates
between wharves. The proprietors OF the
Frank Silva have let loose an express
company war that bids fair to last for some
time.
There are about twelve transfer compan-
les doing business between San Francisco
and the places across the bay. Some do
just little of the business and some do a
good deal of it. These companies don't
carry trunks entirely. Trunks and valises
afford very small part OF their business.
When man of one of the cities of homes
across the bay buys a baby-carriage,
half-barrel of claret or lot OF anything
else which he can't very we'll carry with
him on the boat he orders it delivered by
All express company, and when small
Oakland grocer buys lot of butter in
San Francisco he does the same thing SO
the treight-carrylng business across the
bay affords good manv thousand dollars
worth of business every month.
The Whitney Company had an ambi-
tlon to get more than the large share of
this business that fell TO it in the ordinary
course of events, and IL not only got its
own freight steamer started the other day,
but it went around drumming up more
regular customers among the business
houses by Offering cut rates on exclusive
contracts AS the company had the cost
of running the Frank Silva to figure on
instead of the freight schedule OF the
Southern Pacific Company. 1t had big
advantage over its rivals.
The result was that the eleven rival
transfer companies rushed to Fourth aud
Townsend streets wildly clamOring for pro-
lection. The Southern Pacific Company
took them under its wing right away. 1t
didn't stop TO get out new classified
schedule with reduced rates for 800 separ-
ale articles. 1t just cut rates in two and
said: We'll carry anythipg.You want to
haul in your wagons for 80 cents in lots of
one ton or more"
By the old schedule nearly everything
was charged 81 ton, so that broadly the
reduction is one of 30 per cent. But the
railroad com pany did still better than that.
1t agreed 10 return empty wagons tree.
whereas Is cents was charged for this
service before. These rates are, of course,
Ior ANYBODY, so that all the merchants
who deliver goods in their own wagons
hav already the benefit of half rates as a
result of the little competition begun by
the Frank Silva. The new rates of The
Southern Pacific Company apply only to
the creek route between San Francisco
and the foot of Broadway, Oakland. by
which route the ferry steamer Alameda
has been doing all this freight business by
herself for years. The new rates were an
uounced in the following circular:
To AGENTS: The following takes effect at
noon, June 9th. 10 terminate Will the Issuance
OF new Iarh, unless otherwise noted. By
creek Toule between San Francisco, Mar ct
street, ana Oakland, Broadway, freight on deck
in lots OF one ton OF more, so cents.
BY creek route between San Francisco, Mar
kel street, and Oakland, Broadway, freight on
wagons wagons take rates provided by ferry
tariff No. 8, except that DO charge viii be made
upon the return empty. 90 cents.
Concerning the situation, a high South
ern Pacific freight official said yesterday
THE Whitney Company wanted TO get
monopoly of the business and put on the
Frank Silva to help get it. The other
transfer companies are our patrons, and
We propose TO protect them. We are in
the ferry business and we expect to stay
there. The same Company put on the
Frank Silva few year. ago, but they quit
IN ahunt three months. At that time we
reduced rates to what they have been
since, and we let them stay there. There
is no money in doing business at the rates
We have now put into effect, and we coGld
OF afford to quote those rates if the busi-
ness was not simply small feature of a
profitable ferry business"
There is bit OF humor in the spectacle
of the Southern Pacific Company squelch-
ing a rising transportation monopoly for
the benefit OF the public.
The Southern Pacific Company is in the
ferry business. aud may be expected TO
pay for the privilege of carrying truck
if the bold competing line darss to ripple
Oakland Greek with its one red stern
paddle-wheel very much longer The
struggle Of the Frank Silva against the
southern Pacific Company will be watched
with interest.
But the prospects of the new competing
line are good. 1t has to work on the
$4,000 or $40, 600 the company has annually
paid the railroad for freight charges. 1t
will have besides, as assistance in it's
fight, the extra freight it can get and the
income from the scent passenger fare it
has established. Yesterday several hum
dred passengers were carried altogether,
and in day or two the steamer will get
down TO prompt schedule time, aud five
round trips day instead of four.
Meanwhile the transfer war will wax
hotter, and the Southern Pacific Company
will watch things to see what it Will be
necessary to 10 next
Whitney & Co. do not appear to have
been affected by the reduction 10 the
freight rates Of the Southern Pacific, and
those who are interested in competition
are inclined to smile at the big bully of
monopoly striking such shoulder blow
at its infant opponent.
The opposition company caught this
undeT-cut squarely in the face, and came
up smiling yesterday morning with more
freight than its boats could carry and pas
sengers galore.