The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-28
RATES MAY DROP.
The Effects of Jim Hills
Fight on Fares.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC GREED.
Willing to Sacrifice the Advantages
San Francisco Would Derive
From Travel to the Fair.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC GREED.

The effect that Jim HIPS railroad war
is going to have upon passenger rates to
the Worlds Fair was foreshadowed yester-
day In telegram from Chicago. announc-
ing an all-rail rate from San Francisco to
st. Paul of S45 first class and $40 second
class. The cut was made to meet the one
by Jim Hills road, the Great Northern.
The Great Northern ,mmenced selling
tickets from San Francisco to Chicago on
Sunday last for $40 60. This is a few
dollars less than the Southern Pacific rate.
1t can be said with certainty that there
are many hundreds of people in San Fran
cisco at the present time who are contem-
plating a trip to Chicago and the Worlds
Fair, but are waiting for reduced rate of
some kind or other, and they hardly know
or care what kind, so long as it is reduced.
When the news of the Northern Pacific
cut of $40 was printed yesterday, people
Immediately commenced to say to them
selves: lis this the turning point? VIII
the Southern Pacific be compelled to meet
this cut by the northern lines|
Answering this question yesterday
officials of the Southern Pacific said ''No!"
Their manner of saying 1t was emphatic.
They say that no cut the Great Northern
can make, or compel the Northern Pacific
TO make, can effect them. Plainly Stated
the Southern Pacific has cinch. aud
Southern Pacfic-like, proposes to hold it.
The Eastern terminus of the Great
Northern is st. Paul. and not being a men,
Der of the Transcoptinental Association 1t
has no connection with line to Chicago to
figure on rates with.
The Northern Pacific by connections
with the Wisconsin Central reaches
Chicago direct, and thus can quote rate
clear through to the Worlds Fair City on
its own lines practically
But" say the Southern Pacific officials,
"even should the northern roads in their
fight for the passenger traffic from Por
land and the sound country, force Inc
rates down below the Southern Pacific
rates far enough to make it out of the
question to go from San Francisco direct
to Chicago over the Southern Pacific road
for anything like the same figure, the
Southern Pacific still controls the Shasta
route and Can make its own local rate To
Portland by land, while the Pacific Coast
Steamship Company cannot be drawn into
the Arrangement on account of existing
Transcontinental Ass ociation regulations"
The SIG local rate by land now yields
the Southern Pacific more than it receives
from the proportion IL is entitled to ON the
Ogden route. About $50 covers the South
ern Pacific's share of each fare to Chicago
by way of Ogden.
Thus the Southern Pacific will calmly
see the local traffic even 90 TO Chicago by
way of Portland and the southern routes
for the sake of the SIC local fare between
San Francisco and the north, and at the
same time see the Asatic travel that
naturally would come by way of the Golden
Gate TO Chicago go to the north Of us.
Another thing the Southern Pacific relies
upon is what they call the "differential
rate" established by the Transcontineutal
Association. The differential rate is based
upon the advantages of travel that the
Southern Pacific is supposed to offer over
the no. thern routes, and is placed at SO.
So thas If the rate by VI y of Portland be
$40 cheaper than by direct route to Chi
cago the Southern Pacific will still main
tain that rates are equal.
W. ID. Hitchcock, agent of the Union
Pacific in this city. thinks that the South
ern Pacific may be forced to cut the rates
direct TO Chicago to meet the cuts of the
northern routes.
J. NJ Smith, the agent of the Great
Northern in this city, states that his road
is out for Worlds Fair business and will
be able to cut until they get it, when
the new steamers are put on from San
Francisco to the sound country, then we
will be in a nOsition to dictate termes TO
the Southern Pacific and there will be n o
transcontlnental regulations to interfere
either" said he.
Local agents of the transcontine nta
lines and Southern Pacific officials al
agree that the meeting now being held in
Chicago may change the whole aspect of
the situation and bring the rates down OH
every line.
or course the Southern Pacific people
would rather this idea Hould not prevail
for they are not anxious that people in
California should continue to wait for re-
duced rates instead of paying the present
81 81