The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-08-18
RATES SLASHED
IN THE VALLEY.
A New Schedule by the
Southern Pacific
Company.
MANY RATES HALVED.
An Object Lesson on the Results
of Competition by the
Valley Road.
COMPETITIVE FIGURES MET.
Why Hauling Will Be Done Much
Cheaper in One Region in
This State.
COMPETITIVE FIGURES MET

The freight department of the Southern
Pacific Company yesterday issued new
freight rate sheet, cutting pretty nearly in
two the freight rates between San Fran
cisco and Stockton and the shipping
points in the San Joaquin Valley affected
by the competition of the San Francisco
and San Joaquin Valley Railroad Com
pany, which announced its low schedule of
freight rates some days ago.
No more vivid object lesson on the need
and the effect of railroad competition has
ever been presented to the State of Cali
fornia. No more compact and vivid illus
tration of the need of the competing Valley
road in the San Joaquin Valley, its benefi-
cent effect ana it's value to the regions to
which it may be extended, has yet been
put in form.
A week or more ago Traffic Agent Moss
of the Valley road announced a schedule
of freight rates between San Francisco as
one terminal, Stockton as another termi-
nal and the various new stations on the
Valley road from Stockton south to LIE
Grande within a few miles of Fresno.
Rates to Fresno may not be issued for
some time owing to the pending right-of-
way difficulties, which prevent the new
road from reaching and using the station
facilities planned for it in Fresno.
But the interesting and significant fact
is that the Southern Pacific Company has
been forced TO cut in the middle its freight
rates throughout small section of Cali
fornia which has been reached by ompe-
tition. This section of the State so blessed
has a somewhat elliptical shape, and ex-
tends in the main from Stockton south to
Berenda, which is twenty-five miles this
side of Fresno. 1t includes the region
served by the Southern Pacific branch
line from Stockton to Milton and the re-
giou also served by the West Side South
ern Pacific line from Peters, on the Milton
branch, down the valley to MERGED.
1t is mainly between these lines of the
Southern Pacific Company from Stockton
south that the new Velley road extends,
and it is this region, now served by two
companies, which enjoys the halved rates
now put in force as result of competition.
The region thus described is little less
than hundred miles long and its width
is regulated on the east by the COM
parative nearness of the Southern Paciic's
east side line and on the west it extends
into the mountains as far as anybody has
been dependent on the transportation IA
cilities afforded by the Southern Pacific
Company from its branch line westward
from Stockton to Milton south almost to
Fresno.
Everywhere else in the State and on its
system the local freight rates remain I'M
changed.
The new Southern Pacific rate sheet is
sued yesterday under the supervision of
Assistant Freight Agent G. w. Luce af-
fects points only as far south as Berenda,
which is 17S miles from San Francisco by
the Southern Pacific route, SO miles south
of Stockton and 90 miles north of Fresno.
This new schedule quotes rates from both
San Francisco and Stockton to all points
on the main line south of Stockton to
Berenda on the Milton branch, and on
the west side branch from Peters south
to MERGED.
In this new schedule the Valley road
rates published some days ago are simply
met at competitive points. The rates, like
those of the Valley road, are based on the
Western classification. Special rates on
commodities specifically excepted from
the classification will be announced later
These rates have nothing to do with grain
shipments, the rates for which were early
announced by the Valley road and
promptly met by the Southern Pacific.
Shippers who wish to know the new
rates will consult railroad agents, but
those interested in general way in what
has happened may understand it from the
following selections from the new South
ern Pacific schedule, figures in brackets
being the old rates: