The morning call., 1893-06-09
WILL CUT FARES.
Ferry Pound-Trip Tickets
Fifteen Cents.
IF COMPETITION LIVES.
All Sorts of Schemes Considered by
the Southern Pacific 10 Kill
Whitney's Line.
LIVES.
COMPETITION
Comnetition moves up another n otch.

Competition moves up another notch.
The latest report is that if the Whitney
Company puts another steamer on their
ferry route the Southern Pacific will re-
duce local fares to Oakland TO 10 cents for
3 round trip.
The question has been discussed by the
mon opoly's officers. They did it quietly.
for they are not anxious to let the public
know that they fear their infant competl-
tor.
Let Whitney & Co. put on second
steamer. Let them give better service.
The public will stand by them, for 10 cents
on every round trip ticket is big saving
to ferry travellers and the public will not
forget those W no have forced the monopoly
to the wall.
After the cut in freight rates was made.
special officers of the Southern Pacific
! Company were detailed to watch the COM
peting line and report to headquarters
how it was faring at the hands OF the COM
mercia and travelling public.
At first the MONOPOLY thought that
people would patroniZe the new ferry
from curiosity. After the first days trial
trip of the Frank Silva the railroad spies
discovered that persons were travelling on
the LEGAL ferry by hundreds. that they did
| not 10 so from curiosity either, and that
| these travellers were working people who
| came with their market baskets TO the city
! to do their buying, and patrOnlZed the Silva
/ because 10 cents is a big item to working
! man in these hard times.
( This fact was reported to the Fourth
| and Townsend sanctum. A conference
! was held. 1t was not deemed advisable to
! make any reduction in local fares until it
was definitely learned whether Whitney d
| Co. would survive the shock Of reduction
| of freight rates. AS the competing line
| has not only lived in spite of the Southern
| Paci6r's freight cuts, but promises to put
on another steamer before thirty days
! have passed, local fares to Oakland will
| probably be reduced to 10 cents for round
! trip ticket.
/ Late Yesterday afternoon n report was
/ received from reliable source that Hunt
! ington had advised that no reduction be
made in passage rates, butinstead that the
/ cnmpary try to make compromise with
! Whitney & Co., or buy the company's line
! outright.
/ q blow at the Southern Pacific ferry
! system is a blow In the right place. 1t
! touches a vital spot. for the corporation
| mas always entertained the delusion that
/ nothing could wrest their local Oakland
| and Alameda business from them. Every
/ effort will be made to down the new line,
( no matter how infantle it may appear TO
/ be in its early struggles for ll1e.
After due consideration 1t was decided
/ Oy the railroad O0clalS 10 wall lew udyS
/ before taking any action.
! A ten-cent reduction on every round-trip
/ ferry ticket means an end to the greater
/ part of the profits of the Southern Pacific
( ferry system. For once in its history the
/ Southern Pacific is in tight place.
| The Frank Silva could not begin to
| carry the freight offered yesterday and
nearly 1900 passengers passed to and from
! Oakland during the day.
At the office of Whitney & Co.'s Express
in answer 10 the question, How is busi-
ness?" one of the cOmpanys officers re-
piled, "Just take a look al Jackson-s street
wharf and you will notrequire any further
! answer"
Jacks on-street wharf was loaded with
freight and crowd of several hundred
people was waiting for the Silva. A
| Southern Pacific detective was watching
| the proceedings carefully and taking men,
/ tai notes. He looked exceeding discouraged.
At Fourth and Townsend streets officials
! professed to know nothing about c0ntem-
| plated change in ferry passenger rates and
| less than nothing about a competing ferry.
/ They laughed at the idea of the new line
| hurting them, but there was lack of re-
| pose in their cOunenances as they deliv-
| cred themselves of this Information.
! Some of the company's lesser lights were
! not so successful in nlaying part and in
! nocently inquired of The CALL man where
! he got his tips.
The reduction of fares to Oakland,
| Berkeley and Alameda is q seriOns consd-
Grafton with the Southern Pacific, and so
is competition. The company will only
make the cut as last resource to defeat
! the growing power of the new line. This
conferences held within The past few days.