The record-union., 1896-02-24


part by the Central Pacific or Southern
Pacific during the ten years ending with
1892, the Central Pacific Ogden line)
carried 54 per cent, against 40 per
cent. carried by the other lines, while
Of the passenger traffic for the same
period it carried over 5S per cent.
against all the other lines. During the
first two years of this period all these
lines were operated by the Central Pa
cific, and for the remaining eight years
by the Southern, and in these two years
the percentages carried by the Ogden
line were, for freight, 55 per cent, and
for passenger. 81 per cent Since then
the Northern Pacific, the Atlantic and
Pacific the Canadian Pacific and the
Southern California roads have become
factors; but it seems to me that this
fine showing for the Central Pacific
gives US the right to claim that it has
been accomplished by reason of the
common control of both the Central and
Southern Pacific lines.
I'm corroboration of the above let
me say that in 1885 the Transconti-
mental Association, composed of all the
railroad companies interested in the Pa
cific Coast traffic with the East (to
which Mr.. Coombs generally refers),
agreed to pool the traffic, and being un-
able to agree upon the allotment left it
to a board of eminent and practical rail-
road men, with the result that, after
having heard the claims of all parties,
they made the following award:
Passenger trafic-To the Ogden lines,
81 per cent; to the other lines, 80 per
cent.
freight Trafic-To the Ogden lines,
5l per cent; to the other lines, 40 per
cent.
'As to the competition of the Southern
Pacific Railroad, which is used by the
Union Pacific officials as an excuse for
their greatest loss, the records show
that the Sunset Route-that is, the
steamboat and rail line between New
York and San Francisco via New Or
leans-participates in very little traffic,
which might be directed over the Ogden
lines, except traffic interchanged by
California with the Atlantic seaboard.
and the sum of that traffic is but 20
per cent. of the total traffic interchanged
by California with United States terri
tory on the east of the Missouri River,
and portion of that is taken from the
Panama and Cape Horn routes at rates
so low that the all-rail transcontinental
lines do not care to compete for it.
3. Mr.. Coombs says it is currently
reported in California that compulsion
is brought to bear upon shippers who
wish to ship over the Central line to
force them to ship by the Southern.
CHARGE THAT IS FALSE.
outside of the fact that rumor is a
bad argument in itself, let me say at
once that this charge is false and that
an appeal to the shippers themselves
is the quickest refutation of it, and as
the Southern Pacific has not been at
any time without competition during
the period referred to, both by sea and
rail, shippers have been free to exercise
their choice of routes, and to say that
they could be forced over any special
route simply shows ignorance of the
subject and of the method of soliciting
and handling traffic, to say nothing of
the Well-known independence of ship
pers under competitive conditions. The
Union Pacific has been represented in
California by as large a staff of solicit
ing agents as the Central and Southern
Pacific, and all the other competing
companies have also been represented.
Mr.. Coombs explains the Union Pa
cific's course in building roads, or en-
tering into alliance with roads already
built to the north and south of it. which
should act as feeders to the main line
east of Ogden, as being necessary to re-
lease itself from the clutches of it's
competitor This simply anticipates a
charge that the Union Pacific has itself
been building lines to divert freight
from the Central Pacific. Now, the
facts are that the Utah Northern was
commenced in 1872, some ten or twelve
years before the Southern Pacific was
built. The Oregon Short Line was
commenced before the Southern Pacific
was completed; when the Central was
then, as it is now, being conducted upon
lines of great liberality. whilst our east
ern neighbor, the Union Pacific, charged
ever the Utah Northern from Ogden to
Silver Bow, Montana, first-class, So 10;
second, 81; third, So 70; fourth, So 20
per hundred pounds.
DISPROPORTIoNATE RATES.
when through rates were established
between San Francisco and Silver Bow
the proportions received by the two
companies were as follows:
First class-Total rate per 100
pounds, So 05; Utah Northern Gu. P.),
81 %; Central Pacific so cents.
Second class-Total rate per 100
pounds 81 SO; Utah Northern Gu. P.),
81; Central Pacific, 80 cents.
Third class-Total rate per 100
pounds, 81 05; Utah Northern Gu. P.),
So 10; Central Pacific, 80 cents.
Fourth class-Total rate per 100
pounds, So so; Utah Northern Gu. P.),
S3 %; Central Pacific, % cents.
The disproportionate character of
these rates will be better realized when
it is noted that the rates received by
the Utah Northern were for a haul of
800 miles, while those received by the
fcontinred an sixtb po9o,