The San Francisco call., 1896-03-25
Merchants Take a Determined
Stand Against Alleged
Discrimination.
FAIR COMPETITION FAVORED,
Traffic Manager Curtis Calls Atten.
tion to the Monopoly.Bound
Position of This Port.

AT the meeting yesterday of the joint
committee representing the six most in
fiuential commercial organizations of this
City which are endeavoring to secure a
readjustment of rates to Eureka that will
do away with the alleged discrimination
against San Francisco and in favor of Port
land, it was decided to again communicate
with Goodall, Perkins & Go. asking them
to make direct and definite reply to the
letter of the committee in which the steam
ship people were requested to adjust rates
to Eureka from Portland and San Fran
cisco respectively on a mileage basis.
Their first reply was considered to be
evasive, and further action on the part OF
the merchants was deferred until the ex-
pected reply is received.
Traffic Manager W. B. Curtis of the TraI-
fic Association, who has given the situa-
ton particular attention, spoke thus of it
yesterday:
20. and the merchants of San Francisco was
brought about through the competition of the
North Pacific Steamship Company, which owns
and operates the steamers Alice Blanchard
general agents OF the Oregon Railway and
Navigation Company, and that company can
not brook that an opposition line should live
between San Francisco and Portland, Or; in
fact they have for years past been able to sue
cessfully down all opposition, but in the
opinion of the Traffic Association that state of
affairs cannot be perpetuated.
In brief the history of the present competi-
tlon is as follows: The steamers Empire and
Alice Blanchard were engaged in the lum ber
trade between Portland and points on the
columbia River south of Portland and San
francisco. These vessels always had loads
southbound, and always at rates much higher
than Yl per ton, and naturally sought loads
northbound, and the fact that they should be
able to secure pound of freight northbound
was thorn in the side OF the Oregon Railway
ana Navigation Company and Goodall, Perkins
d Co.. who deeming it time that this opposi-
tion should be crushed, began a war in rates
and deliberately dropped their rates to ST. per
ton weight or measurement, which move was
naturally followed by the opposition.
letter OF the 10th inst. that the rate of 81 per
ton, Portland to Eureka, was put in by the
Portland people when it was learned that a
similar rate was in effect from San Francisco
to Eureka
Edward Goodall stated before committee
in the Board of Trade rooms that the steamer
south Coast was put on the route from Port
land by the Oregon Railway and Navigation
Company Tor the express purpose of running
the Empire and Alice Blanchard off the route
She was the first to reduce rates to the
south.
1t has been demonstrated conclusively, time
and time again, to the San Francisco merchant
that transportation company having q mo-
nopoly will make or break the trade OF city
as best suits its purpose. Sentiment cuts no
more OF igure in the TRANSFORMATION business
tnan IN mercantile pursuits, and Goodall, Per-
kins d Co., as superintendents of the ocean
division of the Oregon Railway and Naviga-
ton Company, win aid and abet that company
in the furtherance of its best interests, not
ours.
It is unnatural to presume that any one
steamer line can, for all time to come, alone do
justice to the growing trade of this City. Our
northern neighbors are loud in the acclaim
that given the ships and trade will follow;
and 1t is the slogan that we should adopt. 1t
is a preccpt worthy of emulation-it points the
way to the only open road free from the ruts
IN which we are at present travelling.
The merchant of San Francisco complains
that there is no elasticity to his trade. And
why is it? A glance at the transportation IA
cilitles to and from San Francisco shows every
avenue dominated by monopoly. Inland we
have but one railway. To the south we have
both a steamer and rail, which are combined
in an agreement as to rates, operating to re-