The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-19
San Francisco May Become a
Great Distributing Point
for Tea
RATES EFFECTIVE TO CHICAGO
This Port Has Natural Climatic Ad.
vantages Possessed by Few
Other Cities.

After seeing the China and Japan trade
gradually Slipping from its grasp for sew
eral years the Southern Pacific Company
has at last awakened to the fact that there
is serious danger of its being deprived of
it almost entirely by the keen competition
of four other rail routes in connection
with the same number of competitors OF
the Pacific Mail and the Occidental and
Or entail steamship companies.
This is the situation that has long been
recognized by the local tea trade, and
through the Traffic Association the South
ern Pacific Company was asked some time
ago TO make blanket rate on tea OF IS
cents per 100 pounds to Chicago and all
points west of that metropolis. The mat
ter has been under consideration for some
months, but 1t was only yesterday that
the railroad company came 10 the deter
mination to aid the local tea merchants
and protect its own interests by making a
radical reduction III the rates on tea into
the territory mentioned.
Taking effect July 25 there will shortly
be issued by the Southern Pacific Com
pany a special rate on tea and teadust.
which viii apply in connection With the
Rio Grande Western, Denver and Rio
Grande, Colorado Midland, Burlington
and Missouri River Chicago, Rock Island
and Pacific, Missouri Pacific, Atlantic and
Pacific, Atcbson, Topeka and Santa Fe,
and the Southern Pacihc's Atlantic system
via New Orleans.
These rates will apply from California
terminal stations, namely: San Francisco,
Sixteenth street (Oakland), San Jose,
Stockton, Sacramento, Marysville and Los
Angeles 10 Missouri River common points,
namely: Sioux City, Omaha, Kansas
City and points between on both banks
of Missouri River, and also TO ST. Paul
and Minneapolis, Galveston, Houston and
Mississippi River common points, namely
st. Louis, New Orleans and various points
on the Mississippi River south of Du-
buQue, Iowa. 1t will also apply to Chicago
ana common points, taking III Milwaukee
and the cities of Wisconsin and Illinois.
These new rates will be quoted, as is
customary, at owners risk OF sitting,
tea always losing more or less in transit
by the finer portion filtering through the
thin boxes and the mating wrapped
around them. For carload lots, minimum
OF $4,000 pounds, the rate will be 81 pei
100 pounds. and for less than carload lots
the rate will be 81 so per 100 pounds to ali
the POINTS named and also to all inter
mediate points. Under the present sched-
ule OF rates 81 50 per 100 pounds is charged
on carload lots and So per 100 pounds on
less than carload lots to intermediate
points east of Colorado. To Colorado in.
termedlate points and points west of that
State the rate per 100 pounds on less than
carload lots is now 81. The terminal rate
which applies to-day from Pacific Coast
common points 10 Missouri River, Mis-
sisSippi River and Chicago common points
& 81 so per 1C0 pounds in carload lois and
81 per 100 pounds IN less than carload lots.
One OF the traffic men of the Southern
Pacific Company, speaking of this latest
move Of his com pany, had this to say:
''fhese rates will permit the tea trade oil
this City TO bid for large amount of bust
ness that now goes 10 New York and will
tend 10 make San Francisco one of the
great tea emporiums of the country. This
City and the coast Tor q distance of about
one hundred miles has peculiar climate
which permits OF tea being stored for q
great length of time without suffering any
deterioration, most important matter
which the local trade can lake advantage
of to aid them in competing with the New
York tea merchants. 1t will be possible
for the local men to keep large quantities
on hand and supply the trade as consump p
tion demands, and the consumers will
thus be provided with tea that is AWAY.
fresh and wholesome.
1--WE have no assurance that these rates
will give us an increased revenue, but we
are willing to take our chances with the
local merchants"
Where some years ago the Southern Pa
cifc Company and Its water allies-the Pa
citc NAH and the Occidental and Orienta
steamship panies-had monopoly o.
the tea traffic that crossed the Pacific
Ocean aud the North American continent
they have now four competitors, which
are also in mpetilion with one another
thus making the fight for business q
spirited one. These are the Canadian Pa
cific Railroad in connection with its owr
tteamship line via Vancouver; the North.
ern Pacific via Tacoma; the Oregon Rail.
way and Navigation Company via Port
land, and the Great Northern via Seattle
All OF these lines carry the bulk of the
tea to New York and Chicago, which are
now the distributing centers for much the
larger portion of the United States. It i.
hoped with the aid of these reduced rate:
and the ideal tea climate for the storage o.
tea that this City possesses that consider
able of this distributing business viii fall
10 San Francisco.
The only transcontinental line that has
not agreed to come into this arrangem en-
is the Union Pacific, with its connections
but il is hoped to secure their consent
shortly.
1t is not unlikely that the competing
lines to the north will endeayor TO pro
teci their business By meeting the cut o
tie Southern Pacific and its connections
II they do another reduction by the Cali
fornia line and its connections is anon,
The possibilities.