The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06

, the dock This prevented the steamers from
receiving Central American cargo until all
this freight was hauled away. The central
American business REQUIRES that freight shall
be very carefully packed and that strict atter-
ton be paid TO ell the details of shipping.
There are long invoices TO be made out in the
Spanish language, and it requires good
weeks time 10 prepare some OF the central
American shipments. By the steamers not
having adeQ uate dock room and not receiving
freight until two days before sailing the mer-
chants are greatly inconvenienced, because
their goods cannot be shipped in proper con-
dition with these drawbacks. The necessary
papers cannot be made out tor lack OF tlme.
and to ship even what we 90 necessllates
keeping our Offices open all night for one or
two nights before the steamers departure.
In New York and other ports all steamship
companies receive frei ght whenever 1t is oHered
TO them and are only too glad TO get 1t, but the
custom here is a most provincial one, reqnlr.
ing as it does that ight shall only De oiered
certain days before steamer sails.
Now as to the incapacity OF their steamers.
On the steamer that leaves Saturday we de-
sired to ship about 600 tons OF freight for
various Central American ports, but could only
secure the privilege OF shipping sou tons. Inc
left over freight will only be taken on subse-
quent steamers, some OF it not until the third
steamer after this one.
How in the face Of this they can undertake
to handle any eastbound New York freight
cannot see.
That the Pacific Mail Company has come
at last to realization of it's dockage In
capacity is shown by the application it has
made to the Harbor Commissioners for
the use of the Lombard-street pier for n ew
York freights. The matter was considered
by the Harbor Commissioners yesterday
and the secretary was instructed TO COM
municate with Goodall, Perkins d Co.,
who now have the use of LON bard pier,
and ask them to have representative
present at the next meeting of the board.
1t is proposed to give the Pacific Mail the
use of one-half that dock if such an ar
rangement can be made.
This lack of dock facilities is also great
nuisance and inconvenience to the dray.
men who haul the freight for shippers.
and visit to the Pacific Mail dock yes
terday showed long line of trucks and
draws stretched outside of the wharf, each
drayman impatiently waiting chance to
get rid of his load. This continued nearly
all day long, and is scene that occurs
every ten days, two days prior to the sail
ing of each steamer for Panama. 1t is
further claimed by shippers that these in
adequate provisions for handling Central
American business is tending to drive that
trade in part to other ports.
All mystery regarding the apparent hos
tile attitude of Mr.. Huntington's Southern
Pacific Company to Mr.. Huntington's Pa
cific Mail Steamship Company disappears
when it is shown that the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company is in position. to
make vastly more money by being de-
prived of through eastbound business than
by having to give up some of its space
to it.
And this can be readily seen to be the
case when it is known that Central Ameri-
can business pays from SO to $50 ton, and
that through freight only costs, under the
present schedule, SS a ton, 55 per cent of
which, or 81 40, goes to the Panama Rail-
road Company. 1t is therefore choice,
so far as the Pacific Mail is concerned,
between carrying freight that will return
it from $S to $40 ton or freight that will
give it but SO go.
And Mr.. Huntington is cleverly utiliz-
ing his Southern Pacific Company in such
a way as to prevent any possibility OF The
Pacific Mail Steamship Company being
asked to accept any through eastbound
business.
Meanwhile the Panama Railroad Com
pany's steamers on the Atlantic side CON-
tinue to sail from Colon with plenty of
space for through New York freight which
never comes.