The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-05
THE TRAFFIC ASSOCIATION.

ONepuAoV VI CullOSIty WudI Tie dIllluuc VI
the Traffic Association is toward the in
vestigation of freight rates now pending
before the Railroad Commission? The
cause which gives rise to this inquiry is
the recent change which the Traffic Asso-
citation has made in the managers, by
which Mr.. Leeds, whose activity in ques-
tioning the equity of Southern Pacific
schedules by invidious comparisons with
those of Eastern roads made him some
what notable, has faded away from the
sight and hearing of the people of Califor-
mia; and Mr.. w. B. Curtis, long and
trusted employe of the Southern Pacific
Company, reigns in his stead.
The term of employment of Mr.. Curtis
as servant of the Southern Pacific Com
pany ended on last Saturday. Prior to its
termination, however, and on Friday last,
he appeared before the Railroad Commits
sion as willing witness for his then en-
ployer and gave testimony to show that
the grain rates of the corporation were
just and equitable. On Monday last Mr..
Curtis entered the employment of the
Traffic Association as its general manager.
1t will be extremely interesting to observe
whether the opinions of Mr.. Curtis as
manager of the Traffic Association are at
variance with the opinions of Mr.. Curtis
as an employee of the Southern Pacific
Company, and if they are not it might be
well to inquire what excuse the Traffic
Association will have to offer for contin-
ance of its term of life?
In this connection it may not be inapt to
state the object of the Traffic Association
as embodied in its constitution. adopted
when it came into existence about two
years ago. 1.-The objects of the association
breads article of its constitution shall
be for the purpose of regulating traffic, that
the interests and resources of our State
may be developed by overcoming through
united effort discrimination, inequality
and excessive carriage charges"
The purposes of the association were still
more clearly defined in the declaration of
principles which 1t issued to the people of
the State of California shortly after it came
into existence. 1t is therein stated that
1.-THE Traffic Association of California was
organized and put in operation for the pur
pose of thoroughly investigating the trans
portation question from the standpoint of
the freight-payer and to devise ways and
means for the correction of any evils which
were found to exist, with the belief that
the burden imposed by the carrier is IN
reasonably heavy"
With this avowed purpose in view as the
main object of its existence, and with
record of activity and ingenuity on the
part of its former traffic manager, existent
in the form of published and piled up
statistics showing in detail the excessive
and exorbitant character of the freight
rates of the Southern Pacific Company
upon many commodities as compared with
those of Eastern roads, it will indeed be
surprising if the Traffic Association, under
its new management, shall fail to make
use of these statistics to assist the people
in understanding and the Railroad Com
mission in revising and reducing the ex-
istent rates of its old enemy, the Southern
Pacific Company.
We conceive it possible that Mr.. Curtis
will not fail to appreciate and perform his
duty in this respect, or that before the
present investigation closes he will present
himself to the commission armed and
equipped with an amplitude of proof most
positive showing the excessiyeness and in
equity OF the freight schedules of his late
employer. 1t may be somewhat embarrass-
ing to Mr.. Curtis, as manager of the
Traffic Association, to produce and present
this evidence showing the small amount
of credence which is to be given to the
evidence of Mr.. Curtis as an employee
of the Southern Pacific Company. We
trust, however, that he will not permit
this slight embarrassment to interfere with
the performance of his duty in the pre-
sentation of the mass of material bearing
upon the subject of freight rates which
the Traffic Association has on hand.
There will be glory enough in the expose
of the methods of his former employer
which this new convert to the cause of the
people may be able to make to compensate
for the inconsistency of his position. In
point of fact the rescued sinner is not the
less highly esteemed because of his ex-
his servant, he did thrive.
We have no doubt that the Traffic
Association of the present had the ex-
pressed purposes Of the Traffic Association
of the past clearly in mind when it
selected Mr.. Curtis from among the
trusted employees of the Southern Pacific
Company to serve as its traffic manager.
We shall look forward, therefore. with
eagerness to that point in the present
investigation when the new manager of
the Traffic Association shall present him
self before the Railroad Commission
armed cap-a-pie to put to flight his former
colleagues, the officials and witnesses of
the Southern Pacific Company, and prove
beyond question that the freight schedules
of his late employer are outrageously
discriminative, excessive, negotiable and
unjust.