The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-19
SOUTHERN PACIFIC OFFICIALS Be
FORE THE RAILROAD CON-
MISSIONERS.
STUBS WRITES A LETTER.
He SAYS THAT CONDITIONS MUST
CHANGE BEFORE RATES Go
LOWER.


ing systematic investigation in the mat
ter of green fruit transportation to the
East and the cost thereof, as requested by
the resolution passed by the Assembly
few days ago.
Last week Chairman La Rue addressed a
letter to William II. Mills, land agent of
the Southern Pacific, in which he asked for
specific information on the subject men
toned, and that gentleman submitted the
letter to Third Vice President Stubs, who
replied at length to the letter of the board,
directing his statement TO Mr.. Mills, and
that gentleman yesterday turned over the
communication to the board.
The body mentioned was in session yes
terday, and in attendance we've three dis
tinguished representatives of the Southern
Pacific-Messrs. Stubs, Mills and Smurr.
To these gentlemen the members of the
board submitted many questions regarding
fruit shipments, Mr.. La Rue being partic
ularly anxious to ascertain just why it was
that the railroad charged local rate on all
shipments from points on branch line to
common points. These questions were
directed manly to Mr.. Stubs, and that
gentleman made an exhaustive statement
of his side of the case.
Mr.. Mills in his Introductory remarks
stated that he wished it to be explicitly
understood that he appeared before the
board simply as private citizen, and that
he would refuse to come as q representa-
tive of the railroad. He had been, he said,
a student of industrial conditions in this
State and felt that he was qualified to
speak thereon with some degree of ac-
curacy. He paid particular attention to
the experiments recently made in shipping
fruit from Oakland to New Orleans by the
steriliZed air process, and claimed that if
generally adopted it would make a saving
OF at least 500 per car. During the year
1882 he said, this process would reduce the
cost of transportation on green fruit from
$750OO0 to 81 900, 000 and every dollar of this
saving would go into the pockets of the
producers.
There was some apprehension, Mr.. Mills
said, that if the cost of shipment was re-
duced either the railroad or the dealer
would reap the benefit; the former by in
Creasing its rates or the latter by selling
cheaper. This apprehension, he thought,
was not well founded
Mr.. Smurr's remarks were in the main
statistical and in line with the argument
of Mr.. Stubs, the full purport of which is
contained in his letter, which follows:
SAN Francisco, February 16, 1895.
Mr.. ". II: Mills, Land Agnt-DEAR SIR Re-
terrlng TO the letter addressed to you by Com
missioner II. NJ. La Rue under date of February
Ia, IN which certain information concerning
rates on green fruit to the East was asked for,
beg leave to submit the following:
The through rates for green fruits in car
loads, minimum weight per car 20, 900 pounds
for ventilated cars and $4,000 pounds for
refrigerator cars, are:
TO CHICAGO.
In ventilator cars. 81 % per 100 pounds
In refrigerator cars...... 81 % per 100 pounds
TO NEW YORK CITY, JERSEY CITY DELIVERY.
In ventilator cars. 81 80 per 100 pounds
In refrigerator cars. 81 so per 100 pounds
The foregoing is for freight-train service
The time from Sacramento TO Chicago for VEN
tlated cars days for refrigerator cars days.
BY passenger train the rates to Chicago are:
For ventilators So % per 100 pounds; for re-
frigerator cars 81 80 per 100 pounds
The freight train to Chicago, which above is
placed at five DAYS for ventilated cars is what
we undertook TO make duriGg the season of
1894, but were interrupted by the strike. The
time made ranged for both ventilators and re-
heve, however, that five days schedule for
ventilator cars can be accomplished. The eight
days time for refrigerators is all that is neces-
sary and the best that can be done with such
heavy cars required to stop Ell route for icing.
The attempted discrimination in the matter OF
time in favor of ventilators is founded upon
these considerations: First, the ratio of dead
freight 10 paying freight carried by the COM
pany when ventilator cars are used is, upon
the average, as % 900 pounds, average weight
OF car Is, to 10000 pounds minimum weight OF
load. For refrigerator cars the average is
46,546 pounds, average weight of car and ice,
to 1000 pounds, minimum weight OF load.
The average OF dead weight of ventilator cars
is from % 500 pounds to Sc, AGO pounds. The
range OF weights OF refrigerator cars, with their
loads of ice, is from 40 900 to So 900 pounds
With the refrigeration the railroad compas
MES have nothing whatever to do. Shippers
contract with the owners or lessees of the re-
frigerator cars for this service, and the stand.
ard charge, as am informed, for this service
which includes cost of ice, has been as follows
for freight-train service
From To Chicago. To New York
Sacramento and points
East.................. 1925 per car $175 per car
Points California
Pacific and Western
Division. ............. lao per car 100 per ca,
Fresno and South and
Marysville and
North. --.-...-....-.. 100 per car 200 per cal
For refrigeration by passenger train an addi.
tional charge OF $25 per car is made.
The refrigerator cars are owned by private
parties and are used by the Southern Pacific
Company under contract with owners They
are run empty westbound. On this account
and on account of their excessive weight the
Southern Pacific Company pays no rental fol-
their use and charges the refrigerator-car com.
panies % per cent in addition to its share OF
the through rate in consideration of hauling
the excess weight. This amounts to 113z cents
per hundred pounds for Chicago destination.
The railroad companies favor the ventilatol
cars. Until within few wears refrig.
GRAFTON with ice was supposed to be unsuitable
to the preservation of fruit. When the propo-
sition TO try refrigeration with ice was first
growers and fruit-shippers was that it would be
a failure. The company has not un-
dertaken the work and responsibility of re.
frigeratlon because it is a business peculiar to
itself, requiring expert knowledge and special
care, which the organization of railroad com.
panies in no wise fits them to perform salts.
factorily. 1t does not own refrigerator-cars for
the reason that it has believed, in the first
place, that the kind of car and method OF
refrigeration is still a matter of experiment
both as to whether ice is the best and cheapest
method of preserving fruit and as to the kind
of refrigerator-car, even if ice be proven to be
the best method of refrigeration, in respect
TO the kind of insulation and the weight of the
car. Few, If any, of the refrigerator-cars now
in use have been built with special reference
to the fruit business of California, and none Of
them have fairly considered the ratio of dead
weight to be hauled To the paying load. In
the judgment of the officers of this company
the best car is yet to be built, and when con.
structed we have no doubt that it will greatly
reduce the cost of refrigeration both to the
shipper and to the railroad company, the latter
by large reduction in the present enormous
weight of the car.
The railroad company has experimental on
It's own account with refrigeration by build.
Ing car designed to accomplish the necessary
equable temperature without the use of ice
but by evaporation. This was unsatisfactory
At present we believe that for the hardy
fruits, with fve-day schedule to Chicago
yentilator cars offer the very cheapest and