The morning call., 1893-05-23
AIRY OVERTURES.
Panama Railroads Policy
Unchanged.
HUNTINGTON'S BRAZIL LINE.
He Was a Stakeholder i'm a Company
That Has Sold Out to the
Panama Railroad.

| Dispatches from New York renort that
the Panama Railroad Company has pur-
chased five OF the vessels of the Brazilian
| Navigation Company's line and will put
| hem Oh the Colon and New York route,
which Increased service will force the Pa
citic Mail to take desperate means to head
off the Panama lines plans.
These kilograms furthermore allege that
! by virtue of this sudden move by the
isthmus railroad Huntington has been
| forced TO make such overtures to that COM
paDy as, if accepted, would permit of
the Mail Company forming new relations
with the Panama Railroad. thus doing
away with part of the good effects of the
contract that line has with the North
American Navigation Company.
Mr.. Hinton, agent of the Panama Rail-
road in this city, said that such deal
would have no effect on the present ar
engagements between his company and the
North American Navigation Company.
and could not possibly compromise the
railroad in any way.
Our people may have made the pur-
| chase" said Mr.. Hinton, ''but it will have
no bearing on the present fight beyond
giving better service on the Colon side OF
| the route.
Il believe he continued, "that Mr..
Huntington is stakeholder in the Bra
| lillian line"
| In regard to this South American prop
erty III which Mr. Huntington is inter-
ested, gen tieman who Is well acquitted
| with the Brazilian trade states that the
steamers of the Brazilian line were sold
10 pay off claims against the company,
which has not been a success financially
| for some time, owing to the high rates
main tanned, against which the people of
South America re Delled
The failure of the corporation is story
SIMILAR to that of the downfall of the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company on the
Pacific side of North and Central America.
! III the Panama line puts five additional
steamers on the Colon route" said he,
the Mail Company will be forced TO the
wall. The Brazilian line was a feeder for
the Pacific Mail, and its death deprives
| the latter company of nearly half of its
| business on the New YORK side. 1t leaves
| 1t practically without any field in which to
woik.
'If the Panama line is sincere in its
! statement Of It's obligations to the Column
| bian and North American Navigation
companies and its professions of intention
| to keep its contract to the letter with the
company men toned, l would not be a bin
L
had decided 20 withdraw its Colon steam
| ers altogether"
rs there any chance for Brazilian trade
to be diverted to San Fra cisco in case of
the re-estabish men. of the Brazilian line
| in tie interest OF others than Huntington
and the Southern Pacific?"
THAT question is hard to answer; but |
never have been able to understand why
produce from BIaZil for such places as
Washington, Oregon and California could
not come via the iSthmus and San Fran
cisco. Nearly all of it is shipped via New
! York. | think it probably would be, now
that the Brazilian line is not in on any
rate combinations, if new company is
! formed"
A Contra Costa County shipper has
grievance with the Southern Pacific which
| illustrates the policy of the monopoly,
which Huntington is trying to convince
| Callfornans Is operated solely in their
! interest regardless of expense.
This producer owns a large grove of
gum trees which he wished to have chopped
down and shipped TO this city for fuel.
he applied to the railroad for rate.
He got tin that portion of his anatomy
between his collar button and his bat
He was told that the Southern Pacific
needed his wood, and if he could not afford
to sell it to them for certain figure
| which was very low-they could not afford
to carry it for him.
The gum trees are being cut down and
burned on the place, for their owner saws
he will destroy every one of them before
he will let the railroad have them. He is
a wealthy man and can well stand the
loss.
Mr.. Leeds of the Traffic Association does
not consider the interstate railroad scheme
which will be discussed by the railroad
convention at Omaha on June 80 praet-
cable. Mr.. Leeds thinks that a railroad
built by the States would eventually fall
into the hands of politicians and would
prove a failure.
The small amount of east-bound travel
to Chicago tends to prove that people are
going to stay home rather than pay exor-
bitant fares. The small policy of the rail-
roads In keeping up prices of transporta-
ton to the big fair is evidently doing
more to keep Californians away from the
| expedition than anything else.
The railroads are bitterly disappointed
at the small showing made by their sales
of tickets, anc are really making less than
they would had they reduced the rate 80
per cent.
Chicago travel has been steadily on the
decrease, although local ticket men will
not admit IL. The statement is based on a
calculation of the number of passengers
leaving the city for the East by the regu-
lar ways of egress. Southern and Central
Pacific travel has fallen off perceptiby.
and there is no great number of travellers
for the Union or Northern routes.
| Commissions on eastbound tickets have
been raised TO So and $40 per ticket and
local sellers are happy. Heretofore their
| profits on sale amounted to 50 and 49,
Traffic Manager Leeds thinks that the
money for the bonds of the San JOAQUIN
Valley road can be raised exclusively in
this State without going East for subscrip-
lions.