The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-10

cifc rate charges the more bewildering
does the entire mass seem. yet The more
clearly does the fact stand out that the
giant monopoly has been plucking the
farmers and merchants OF the State until
there is little left to rob them OF. A table
of tariffs is dry, embarrassing thing TO
peruse, and, therefore, the Southern Pa
cific's conglomerate mass of figures have
generally been cast one side. But careful
analysis OF this tariff reveals some aston
ishing things and furnishes story in
itself. When bank-wrecker suddenly
leaves for some foreign point. experts have
dull time going over his figures. and see
ing how here he has raised the figures
on check here he has made false entry
and there he has made no entry at all.
The Southern Pacific stands to-day be-
fore the public Of California in much the
same light. 1t has. by its ovsrch arges and
extortions, nearly wrecked the State. The
tariff figures showing how this has been
done are not interesting to peruse in
mass, but they reveal how the eXtOrtion
was carried into execution. Usually rail-
roads fix the tariff on products at so much
per ton per mile over the line, but not so
with the Southern Pacific. They have
experts in their employ-experts who are
required to arrange freight charges for
the full amount the freight will stand.
These experts go about their work in this
way:
Of course, discrimination cannot be
made between farmers shipping from the
same town. But usually all the farms
within the shipping radius of railway
station bear equally; there is but little
difference between the crops raised on
them. while the farms the products of
which are taken to another disbursing
center may be richer or poorer, as the
case ay be. Distance does not enter into
the cal cuatInns of these Southern Pacific
experts. Smiths farm may be twenty.
forty or sixty miles further from the COM
mon market than Browns. but Smiths
farm, being in poorer section, canrot
stand the heavy charges. and he pays less
10 get his grain to market over a long
route than Brown does to get his there
over a shorter one. Thus no inducement is
offered farmer to improve his land or
to purchase good land. He can do nearly
as well By being Shiftless.
Mr. Brown has wheat field that yields
well, and Mr.. Smith has similar piece OF
land, twenty miles away, that produces
poor crop. The expert ascertains the num-
her of bushels of wheat Mr.. Brown can
raise to the acre, what he can sell it for.
and fixes tariff rate npon it that allows
him to make very small profit, the COM
pany taking the remainder. The capabl-
tiles of MIR. Smiths land are also carefully
weighed, and he is charged proportion
ate rate. And so Mr.. Smith pays less
freight per ton than does Mr.. Brown. The
fact that Mr.. Brown paid more for his
land or has done more for it in the way of
cultivation does not count: he must pay
more to get his grain to market.
The assertions of Discriminate rates
are of course easy to make, but they are
Just as easy to prove, and 1T is cheerful
matter for THE CALL to point them out
to the people. Every figure mentioned in
this article is taken from the freight tariffs
of the Southern Pacific. These tariffs can
be found in any railroad station and the
doubtful reader can go over them and see
The grain rate is the one dwelt upon, as
that more closely affects the farmer. The
region taken is all points north of Tehach-
api to Port Costa, except the coast
division, which should be- computed on
San Francisco. For convenience the tariff
is grouped according to service by five
mile grades until thirty miles is reached,
after that by ten miles up to 800 miles, in
order to show discrimination. First, for
a few figures:
miles and under. points and rates, rang
ing from 30 cents TO 81 2b.
u u
rats, ranging from 40 cents to 81 25.
Is miles and over 10 miles. points and
rales. ranging from 80 cents 20 81 So
20 miles and over 10 miles, 20 points and
rates, ranging from 60 cents TO 81 80.
% miles and over 20 miles, 8 points and
rates, ranging from 20 cents to 81 rs.
rates, ranging from 75 cents to 81.
For a short analysis of this: The fret
paragraph shows that in the short distance
of five miles there are SIX different freight
rates on grain, and one man pays 90 cents
ton more freight than another Here the
expert has found a Mr.. Brown who has
evidently been making money, and. to use
.socked it to him." Look over the other
paraguay hs and the work of the expert can
readily be seen. But for some more figures
40 miles and over 80 miles. "a points and u
rates, ranging from IS cents TO 81 95.
so miles and over 40 miles, IL points and
rates. ranging from 5 10 20 81 10.
so miles and over so miles, 20 points and 10
rates, ranging from 81 50 10 80 So.
70 miles and over so miles IL points and Ii
rates. ranging from 81 80 to 50 70.
80 miles anc over 20 miles, % points and 16
rates, ranging from 81 80 10 SO 90.
90 miles and over 80 miles, 9 points and IL
rates, ranging from 81 30 10 So 40.
100 miles and over 80 miles . points aud
rates. ranging from 81 Is TO 50 80.
40 miles nd over 100 miles. IA points and
rates ranging from 50 to 81 rs.
12o miles and over 10 miles. l. points and Z
rafeI ranging from 81 30 to 50 10.
40 miles ana over $50 miles. IL points and
II rates. ranging from 50 40 TO So.
The work OF experts shows in every
statement and with it the discrimination.
Again:
140 miles and over $50 miles, IL points and
rates, ranging from So 60 SO so.
$50 miles anu over 140 miles 8 points and 4
rates ranging from S3 10 10 SO go
Here's the point forcibly demonstrated.
Not only are there six rates in the first d.
vision ard four in the latter, but farmers
are actually charged 20 cents ton more
for the short haul of $40 miles than for tho
longer haul of $50 miles. But more figures:
$50 miles ana over so miles. o points and
rates ranging from SO 90 To 81 so.
no miles and over 80 miles 3 points ano
10 rates, ranging from SO 30 10 Sc.
$50 miles aud over 10 miles 6 points and
8 rates, ranging from 81 60 to ss 75
$50 miles aud over 80 miles points and
rates, ranging from So 30 10 go So
200 miles and over 80 miles 6 DOiDts and
rates, ranging from So 50 TO So 80
21O miles and over 200 miles, points and
rates. ranging from SO 80 10 "a
900 miles and over 81 O miles 3 ponts and I
raIe, ranging from 81 10 10 81 TO-
Just glance at these figures carefully and
notice how they vary, and then at the fol-
lowing:
$50 miles and over 22O miles, points and 4
rates, ranging from 81 40 81 40.
iIaa nd DO o