The San Francisco call., 1896-07-08

| tion and improvement Company ther
will be a freight and passenger service be.
tween San Joaquin Valley points and this
City that will surpass anything ever be-
| fore enjoyed in this section OF the State
Rates will be lower and accommodations
better. Among the things in contempla
! ton and soon to be realities are reduced
| grain rates to Vallejo. Port Costa and San
! Francisco from Stockton and points south
and steamer passenger service on the
! San Joaquin between Stockton and San
! Francisco that will make the run on rail.
road time at least, and perhaps in even
! better time by half an hour.
Nearly every day that now passes records
some new development tending to prove
that the young giant, popularity known as
the Valley road. which is stalking up the
San Joaquin Valley. is bold and vigi-
liant in seeking to accomplish its avowed
purpose of unloosing or destroying the
tentacIes of the octopus" legally de-
scribed as the Southern Pacific Company,
from the agricultural, horticultural and
other industries of the State, and thus per-
mitting the producer to reap at least fair
reward for his labor, enterprise and capi-
tai.
OCdICcly WAS IL dDlo 10 move lLS cars
along its rails when it entered the field of
fierce competition with a hitherto uncon-
querable and unmerciful adversary. Rates
were cut from all points about twenty
miles south of Merced into Stockton.
In retaliation, for it went beyond self
protection, the Southern Pacific put in q
reduced tariff from just south of Merced to
San Francisco.
And it is TO counter this move of the
Huntington corporation that the negotia-
tlons referred to were begun. At this
writing there Is every indication that a
satisfactory arrangement will be concluded
to-day.
When the Southern Pacific cut it's rates
to Vallejo, Port Costa and San Francisco
the charge from Stockton to Vallejo or
Port Costa was made so cents per ton, and
to San Francisco 81, a material reduction
from former figures. and at the same time
the charge of 10 cents ton for unloading
was abolished.
By the schedule that the Valley road
proposes to issue to-day, if negotiations
are concluded, the rate between Stockton
and Vallejo or Port Costa win be so cents
per ton, and between Stockton and San
Francisco 60 cents, and possibly so cents.
ID. j.. Corcoran, manager of the Cali
fornia Navigation and Improvement Com
pany, was in town on Monday ard held q
conference with Traffic Manager John
Moss Of the Valley road relative to a
traffic arrangement that would permit of
passengers and freight being carried
through from San Joaquin Valley points
10 San Francisco but he declined TO dis
cnss or speak OF the matter of rates. In
reference to the service his company was
prepared 10 give he spoke freely, even
enthusiastically.
s'We are the largest inland wat er trans
portation company in California" he
began. "We have eight steamers and six
teen barges which we own. We have been
and are now active competitors of the
Southern Pacific Company as far south in
the San Joaquin Valley as Fresno. 1t is
true our vessels run only to Firebaugh,
but this gives us the opportunity to bid
for Fresno business. and we get consider
able OF it, too.
"Of late" he continued. 1--WE have been
running six steamers between Stockton
and San Francisco, and have just decided
10 put on the seventh. As soon as we
come to an understanding with the Valley
road people we shall put on the entire
eight steamers, and also arrange to put on
special passenger boat that will make
the run as quickly as it is now made by
rail.
Figures are now being prepared by the
Rlsdon, Fulton and Union iron works for
submission to us for a steamer to run not
less than twenty marine miles an hour.
This vessel will be elegantly fitted up with
every modern convenience, and will make