The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-19
.BLOCKAD|NG THE |STHMUS
Rumors of Deal Affecting
Steamship Trade With
New York.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC TACTICS.
A Grand Rally for the Nicaragua
Canal VIII Be Made Before
Next Congress.

About the best thing done by the Traffic
Association under the regime of Traffic
Manager J. S. Leeds was the establish
ment of an independent steamship line to
New York, via Panama. The time
honored cinch contract of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company with the PAN
anna Railroad Company was broken, and
the Panama Steamship Company took
San Francisco's sea trade with New York
into it's own hands. 1t was a body blow
to monopoly, and the Traffic Association
men felt they had long feather in their
caps.
From New York now comes the story
that Mr.. Huntington has lately been busy
adjusting this state of affairs and that the
Pacific Mail will soon be doing business at
the old stand and playing at freeze out
with other steamers who seek the business.
The news as given in the dispatches is to
the effect that present agreements with
the Panama Railroad are to be Cancelled
and new deal will be entered into. This
will give to the Panama Steamship Com
pany the handling of freight on the At
fantic side only, while Pacific Mail steam
ers will attend to all the trade in the
Pacific.
When questioned about the matter yester-
day Southern Pacific officials here declined
to express judgment as to the truth or fall
sity of the statement of the dispatches,
saying it was matter in the hands of Mr..
Huntington and his New York assistants.
Frank Johnson of the Johnson Locke
Company, who worked hard for the pres
ent independent steamer service, said he
had received no advices indicating that the
present agreement is off. Said he:
We're doing business just as usual, taking
orders ahead for all the trade we can handle
All l can say is that don't believe there is any
thing in 1t.
Traffic Manager Curtis of the Traffic AS
ISOLATION expressed great interest in the
news, and said the matter would be one
for the associations executive committee
to take up in event of there being any
truth in the published rumor. The COM
mittee will meet to-day in special session
to consider especially plans for the ap-
preaching fiscal year, which begins about
October l.
The association, according to Mr.. Curtis,
has no idea of resting on its laurels now
that the Valley road is under way, but will
take up just such problems as that in
volved in this reported strangling of indie
pendent steamers. Coaxing Congress to
hurry ND and get officially behind the Mic
of duty. Another project that may be
taken up is the feasibility of maintaining a
coast line of steamers so as to help develop
all the Central American trade and divert
it from New York to San Francisco so
far as possible. It was venture of this
sort that Otis, McAllister 81 Co. made a
gallant struggle with two years ago, but
were forced to the wall by Pacific Mall
cut freight rates. II the project is under
taken again it will be with capital enough
back of it SO that it may withstand all as
saults.
If President Diaz can get the $4,000, 900
or so necessary 10 build harbors at the east
and the west terminus of the new Tehuan-
tepec Railroad~and he thinks he can
that cross-isthmian road is going to be a
big factor in the San Francisco and New
York trade. The road is all right, easy
grades and all that, but the open road
steads at Salina Cruz and the other side
will never do for deep-water steamers.
Freight crossing the isthmus via Tehuan-
tepec would effect a saving of about 1900
miles over the present Panama route and
fully 100 miles over the long-hoped-for
route by the Nicaragua canal.
There is going tC be a Tousing rally for
the Nicaragua canal made before the next
Congress. Wide-awake men are already
making things hum and if Congress don't
do something it won't be because the in
dividual members have not been told what
is best to do. Our own Chamber of Com
merce is early in the field for the season.
Just the other day it sent out circular
letters to all merchants to this effect:
While the early construction of the Nicaragua
canal is OF great Importance to our whole
country, to the Pacific Coast it has become an
absolute necessity, controlling, more than any
thing else, our future prosperity. For this
reason you are urgently requested, as q favor
your business appreciation of our mutual in
terests, to address your Senators and Repre-
sentatives in the Fifty-fourth Congress, repre-
senting the urgent need of this legislation and
asking their promise to support any bill that
shall be introduced which shall secure the
construction of the Nicaragua canal under the
control of the United States Government, for
the benefit of its citizens and for the CONNER
cial and military advantage OF our great Re-
public.