The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-07
THE PANAMA RAILROAD,
1T Will COniinne as an Inde-
pendent Transportation
Line.
WILL BID FOR ALL BUSINESS.
The Result of MIR. Hinton'S Confer
ence With the TranSconti-
mental Managers.

Eugene TT. Hinton, the Pacific Coast
representative of the Panama Railroad
Company, has been in the East since the
18th of last January on an important mis-
sion. His business was to confer with the
represen tatives of the transcontinental
railroads concerning ar agreement under
which the Panama Railroad Company
should be recognized and scheme of rates
between the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards
should be agreed upon. Mr.. Hinton re-
turned to San Francisco day or two ago.
The most important news that Mr.. Hin
ton brought back with him is that the
Panama Railroad Company is determined
to continue permanently as competing
independent transportation line. 1t is
possible that some agreement concerning
rates may yet be effected, but that would
have no bearing upon the independent
operation of the line in securing business.
The Panama road, Mr.. Hinton says, is out
for all the business that it can secure, and
it will continue indefinitely to pursue that
policy. The Panama officials would not
consent to any agreement with the trans
continental companies which failed to
recognize it as a differentiaI or lower rate
line. In an interview yesterday Mr.. Hin
ton said:
From 1872 to February, 1893, the Panama
Railroad was almost unknown to the trans
continental roads. They had, of course, and
idea that such road existed. but they knew of
it only through its relations to the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company. 1t is now the settled
policy of the Panama Railroad Company that
these conditions shall never exist again. The
object of my trip to Chicago, st. Paul and other
Western cities was TO personally inform the
chief traffic officials of the transcontinental
roads of the attitude of the Panama Railroad
Company in this respect. Palso informed them
that if they desired to negotiate they could
deal directly with us, and that we intended to
be closely identified with this traffic for all
time to come. That is the idea of the company,
and it will be carried out.
Mr.. Hinton was questioned concerning
the ability of the Panama Railroad Com
pany to pursue its independent policy.
He said that it was now about year and
a half since the Panama Railroad Company
assumed the operation on the Pacific Coast,
between San Francisco and Panama, of
the line which was given up by the North
American Navigation Company. The
Panama Railroad Company acquired by
purchase the three steamers of the Bra
lillian Steamship Company and therefore
operates exclusively the line between New
York and Panama. Its status there is set
tied for all time. A large business insures
also the continuance of the line between
Panama and San Francisco. The business
for the past few months has been at the
rate of from $4,000 to 20 900 tons per an
nun. There are excellent reasons conclu
sive to Mr.. Hinton why the Panama rail-
road cannot fall into the hands of Mr..
Huntington. Mr. Hinton read in the dis
patches that Mr.. Huntington visited Paris,
but nothing was effected to change the re-
lations of the Panama road to the business
of the Pacific Coast as an independent line.
Mr.. Hinton expressed confidence that
nothing can interfere with its independ-
ence. The line is now operating three
steamers on the Pacific Coast and has been
compelled, during the last sixty days, to
put on the City of Everett to carry the
business.
This seems to definitely put at rest all
rumors concerning the possible abandon
ment of the line as an independent propo-
sition. Mr.. Einton has talked the matter
over thoroughly with the directors at New
York and is fully acquainted with their
intentions in the premises. He had no
other information to give excepting that
the strike at the Isthmus is at an end and
no further detention to freight will be
caused.