The San Francisco call., 1896-03-24
BATTLE FOR FAIR RATES,
A Serious Controversy Pending
Over the Eureka Traffic
Situation.
NO DISPOSITION TO YIELD.
Both Sides Are Fully Determined to
Maintain Their Respective
Positions.

There is now every indication that a
well-defined issue is to be raised by the
principal merchants of San Francisco in
the effort to have rates to Eureka from
this City and Portland respectively fixed
on mileage basis.
More than usual interest and import
ance attaches to this situation as it is one
of the few instances where the most influ-
entail commercial interests of the City
have arrayed themselves in a solid
phalanx against what they considered a
discrimination on the part of a :ransporta-
ton company. The prime actuating idea
on the part of the commercial bodies in
volved in this controversy is that there is
an effort being made to favor Portland at
the expense of and to the injury of San
Francisco.
Attention was first called to this alleged
discrimination through the Traffic Asso-
citation. which charged that the steamer
South Coas t, operated by the Oregon Rail-
way and Navigation Company, of which
Goodall, Pc rkins & Co. are the local
agents, was carrying freight from Portland
to Eureka at lower rates than was being
charged by the Pomona operated by
Goodall, Perkins IL Co.. from this City to
Eureka.
AS a result of the action of the Traffic
Association there was special meeting
called by the Board of Trade of San Fran
cisco. to which representatives from the
Chamber of Commerce, Manufacturers and
Producers Association. Traffic Associa-
ton, Merchants Association and San
Francisco Fruit Exchange were invited
and at which the Board of Trade was also
represented.
At this meeting g. sub-com mittee was
appointed, consisting of Traffic Manager
w. B. Curtis, A. l.. Scott, W. R. Wheeler
and I. J. Parsons. and instructed to. place
the matter before Goodall Perkins & Co.
in the manner they thought best. This
committee met, and, after due deliberation
and consideration of the matter, Mr.. Cur
tbs was authorized to communicate with
Goodall, Perkins e. Co.. reviewing the
grievance of these six bodies and suggest
ing as remedy that rates be readjusted
on mileage basis.
To this the company representing the
Oregon Railway and Navigation Company
sent reply on Friday last virtually de-
clining to make the concessions asked.
Their reasons for this stand are partially
summarized in the following paragraph,
quoted from the letter sent to Mr.. Curtis:
eve should judge there is sn average of
fifteen to twenty vessels per month sailing
lTom Dan I rdHciSCo 10 Gurekd, WINE tnere
are about two per month from Eureka to
Portland, and these are small, slow and
irregular. AT even rates, with these ad-
vantages, are we to infer that San Fran
cisco ca mot hold her own ?"
In this letter it was also stated that the
freight rate from Portland to Eureka on
the South Coast was 81 and that the same
rate had been made by the Pomona from
San Francisco TO Eureka when the matter
was first called to the attention of Goodall,
Perkins & Co.
There was a meeting yesterday of the
special committee of four appointed by
the joint commercial bodies which lasted
nearly three hours and at which the reply
of Goodall, Perkins & Co. was discussed,
with the result that the whole matter is
to be again referred to the joint body of
the six commercial organizations named,
which will hold q special meeting this
afternoon at the Board of Trade rooms.
The committee considers that it has no
further power to act in the matter, but
that its duties endea with sending the
communication to the steamship agents
and receiving the latter's reply.
1t is understood that the report of the
committee will recommend that the posi-
ton originally taken at the joint meeting
declaring for readjustmenJ based on
mileage basis be maintained and there is
every likelihood that this recommendation
will be adopted. If this is done the Issue
will be fairly made. and a bitter contest
will in all probability be precipitated.
One of the committee of four, speaking of
the situation, said it was brought about by
the action of the Oregon Railway and
Navigation Company in placing the
steamer South Coast on the route between
this City and Portland and way ports in
the effort to drive the Alice Blanchard and
Empire of the Northern Pacific Steamship
Company's line from that field, but more
particularly to prevent competition in the
Portland-San Francisco traffic