The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-12
TO WORK FOR CALIFORNIA
The Traffic Association Will
Continue an Aggressive
Fight for Freedom.
Supporters of the Association to
Continue Along the Lines Pro-
posed by MIR. Leeds.

There was sort of family conference at
the rooms of the Traffic Association on
Pine street yesterday. Officially it was a
special meeting of the finance committee,
but nearly all the stanoh adherents of the
association were there, including half
dozen members of the present executive
committee.
The announced purpose of the meeting
was to receive report from W. B. Curtis,
the new traffic manager of the association.
The report was presented and talked over,
and the talk turned practically upon the
whole future of the association.
The end of the associations fiscal year
October lis not far away, and this fact,
together with suggested plans of the new
traffic manager, formed the theme of
the conference. Ever since the San Fran
cisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad
project has been successfully pushed along
there has been atwidespread feeling that
the duties of the Traffic Association were
nearly at an end. This feeling was dis
Traffic Association, in the Judgment of
such men as ]. A. Folger, b. F. Durham,
Henry Michaels, Charles M. Yates and
others, are not half ended.
The report presented by Mr.. Curtis took
this same view, and number of things
properly in the province of the association
to help along the shipping and trade in
terests OF the City and State were outlined.
The new traffic manager also proposed
that formal address be made to the
leading merchants of the City-a sort of
rallying address-and it was agreed by the
meeting to take up this matter immedi-
ately.
A large number of subscriptions to the
association expire at the end of the fiscal
year. The address will set forth this fact,
and will appeal to all merchants and others
interested in fostering our trade and en-
eouraging new railroad and steamship
projects to stand by the association.
1t was agreed that the work of the asso-
citation should be continued along the
general lines so successfully prosecuted by
the retired traffic manager, Mr.. Leeds.
Plans for employees, for rooms, etc., were
discussed. 1t was agreed to make no
change from the present headquarters OF
the association on Pine street. To-day
several OF the executive committee will go
over the form of public address to be sent
out, and it will be ready for publication
within few days. 1t will be issued by
the traffic manager and the nineteen mem
The members of this committee are |:
b. f. Durham, G. NJ. Yates, Henry
Michaels, Wakefield Baker, A. ]. Marcus,
]. A. Folger, Henry Williams, John T.
Doyle, s. Dinkelspiel, ]. Curtis, N. P.
Cole, G. n. Schmidt, John Taylor, l.. HI.
Bonesteli, Edward Brown, w. r. Wheeler.
E. A. Phelps, l. E. Littlefield and c. T.
Settle.
After the meeting Traffic Manager Curtis
said:
/ have plan to make this Office freight bu-
reau for merchants, where all kinds OF infor-
nation on rates of freight throughout the
United States and on the Pacific Ocean will be
gathered for the nse of shippers. This will be
new feature, anG one that will increase the
usefulness OF the association very materially
For instance, if merchant in San Francisco
wishes to compete with the East in Colorado.
Idaho, Utah or Montana he can come here and
learn what the freight rate is from the East to
these points. Then, of course, he can make
comparisons with the rates from this CITY to
the same places and make his own conclusions
as to how he shall compete for trade.
Again, suppose a local shipper wishes to
know exactly the rates from Puget Sound or
Victoria, b. g., on the northern steamers to the
Orient. He can come here and satisfy himself
whether it would be better to ship via those
ports or direct from San Francisco With the
friction OF these comparisons rates will have
10 adjust themselves if business is to be kept
n San Francisco.