The San Francisco call., 1896-01-02
The Pacific Mail Unable to
Handle Central American
Business.
SOME PECULIAR CHARGES MADE.
Shippers Who Have Opposed the Rail.
road Complain of Unfair
Treatment.

According to a statement OF K. P.
Schwerln, general manager OF the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company, recently pub
ished in these columns, his company was
in position to handle promptly all the busi-
ness that might he offered for the points to
and between which the steamers OF the
company ply, despite the recent with
drawal of the Panama Railroad Company
from the Southern Pacific Panama route.
Only one of the steamers OF the latter
company has been Withdrawn up to date,
vet Judging from the complaints of some
of the most prominent shippers TO Central
American points the facilities of the Pa
citic Mail are inadequate, and have been so
for several months past, owing to the re-
vival OF trade with that portion of the con-
tinent.
Not Pacific Mail steamer that has left
for Panama for months but has had to re-
fuse freight, and this state of affairs has
been used, so it is positively asserted, to
unfairly discriminate against those who
were most actively engaged in encourag-
ing the establishment of the rival lines.
One of the methods was to refuse on one
ground or another permit to ship to such
tlrms as had openly opposed the Pacific
Mail in the past. The experience related
by the member of one firm will suffice to
indicate the general plan adopted of get
ting even with merchants who showed too
great disposition to improve their con-
dition. This was his story:
Before goods can be shipped aboard any of
the Pacific Mail steamers application for space
must be made to Mr. Spencer We have made
application for space long before other houses
and have been refused. These other houses
came after US as much as day or two and got
all the space they wanted. This has occurred
repeatedly.
We can only draw our conclusions. They
are trying to vent their spite upon We
have always been opposed to the Southern Pa
cific and aided largely in bringing about the
competition by the isthmus route which
forced rates down, and the Pacific Mail and
the Southern Pacific are, of course, one thing.
We have frequently had to secure permits
through other firms.
Another thing which shows how they try
10 get call the traffic will bear even from their
best patrons is the way they treat passengers in
reference TO baggage. A certain amount is al
lowed free, bnt not single article is allowed
TO be taken aboard by passenger without be-
ing weighed ana charged for if found in excess
OF the free limit. An attache OF one of their
heaviest shippers had occasion recently to take
q trip 10 Central America and started 10 board
the steamer with q little hand-satchel in his
hand. This taken from him as he was
about to ascend the gangplank and he was
forced to pay excess baggage rates on it at the
rate of 3 cents pound, despite the protests OF
member of the firm which employed him.
This would be excusable if the company
were not simply coming money on this route
1t has been calculated by gentleman familiar
with the traffic that the company clears $50 900
on each round trip OF each vessel whenever
they carry a full cargo, and for long time
past every steamer that left here has been
loaded to the matches and freight refused, and
the round trip takes but little over month.
Their talk about having ample facilities to
handle the freight from this end is simply alb
su1d. They have not been able to do it with
the Panama company steamers in the field;
how can they expect to do it now without very
largely increasing their facilities, and this
they, have not yet done. Why, it was not
much more than q month ago that the com
mission firm of Schwartz Il Co. was compelled
TO charter q steamer for Guatemala owing to
the inability OF the Pacific Mail to take proper
care of their business.
AT the office of Schwartz & Co. il was
learned that the 1500-ton steamer Jeanie
was filled by them and a few other ship
pers and dispatched for San Jose de Guate-
mala on the 18th OF November last. She is
due to return, and it is possible may be
again sent on the same trip.