The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-29
PROTESTS AGAINST FAVORITISM
SHOWN TO EASTERN
JOBBERS.
NO DECISIVE ACTION TAKEN
RIGHTS AND WISHES OF .CAL1FoR
MA SHIPPERS SET FORTH BY
w. B. CURTIS.

SALT LAKE, UTAH, Oct. 28.-The meet
ing of officials of the Trans-Missouri
Freight Association opened to-day at the
Knutsford. The Santa Fe, Rock Island
and Missouri Pacific systems were not rep
resented, which was denounced as a
shabby" trick by those in attendance.
Elmer H. Wood, S. W. Eccles and T. M.
Schumacher of the Union Pacific, S. II.
Babcock, w. E. Helm and J. Brinker Of
the Rio Grande-Western, William Sproul
and D. R. Gray of the Southern Pacific, A.
p. Tanner of the Colorado Midland, George
II. Crosby of the Burlington, A. I. Wells
of the Denver and Rio Grande, and W. y.
Poteet, secretary OF the association, an
swered to the lollcall.
The session was taken up with thor
ough discussion of the California Z tab
rate versus the Eastern Utah rates. ".
b. Curtis of the Traffic Association of Cali
fornia was invited to speak. He ably set
forth the rights and wishes of the Califor-
MIA jobbers and explained that the mer-
chants of that State asked only that they
be placed on the same footing as the East
ern jobber as compared with Utah trade.
Mr.. Curtis has passed the day in confer
ence with Salt Lake merchants and rail-
road men. In an interview with a CALL
correspondent tonight he said:
81 have had some conversations with
the merchants OF Salt Lake and do not
think that the true inwardness Of the stu
alton is understood. In the first place l
find that the story has been industriously
circulated that should the rate basis now
fathered by the Traffic Association be
adopted to govern future rate making to
Utah, the interests of the Salt Lake job
bers will be ieopardiZed, and l am cred
IDLY informed that this is the position
taken by the majority of the representa-
tives of the lines leading west from the
Missouri River. In plain parlance I must
denounce these assertions as false. These
gentlemen are engaged in crying wolf in
the endeavor to avoid the true issue, and
l am in hopes that the subterfuge will
prove fruitless.
The questions under discussion are all
important and deserve at the hands OF the
railway companies careful and authori-
tative attention. a convention to con-
slider these questions should be composed
of representatives clothed with authority
to say yes or mo- TO any proposition. a
failure of this convention to come to an
understanding means that the merchants
of Salt Lake must still longer face these
rate disadvantages. awaiting the pleasure
of the Eastern lines.
"San Francisco merchants are not en-
deavoring to get the upper hand OF the
Salt Lake lobber, but demand that in this,
their own, nearest and by all means right
full field, rates from San Francisco shall,
considering the nearness of our position,
be less than from Chicago or any other
Eastern center competing for the
trade in question. In this we leopard
ize the Chicago or Eastern iobber
only. lie is selling goods in this
territory right and left, carloads or less,
and the lines of railway leading westward
are standing in with him. The cut in rates
by the Southern Pacific Company to Ogden
has not been of the haphazard order, but
is upon well-defined principle, and that
principle is the one, in fact, the basis
which we desire to see the ruling factor to
Salt Lake as well. We do not desire or
aim to perpetuate lower rates to Ogden
than to Salt Lake. We prefer to see the
Utah common points retain their iden-
tity, and that Salt Lake and Ogden remain
on parity as in the past. Any adjust
ment of rates that may be agreed upon
will be upon a basis recognizing the
proper deferential between the carload
and the less than carload rates."
No definite action was taken at the meet
ing to-day. On Tuesday the Salt Lake job
bers Will address the meeting, and it is ex-
pected that the matter will be arranged at
the close of the session.