The San Francisco call., 1897-10-26
WORKING FOR
TIE NEW Line
Active Measures Being
Taken to Insure It's
Success.
Merchants Will Be Immediately
Solicited to Join in the
Movement.
Compromise Will Not Be Considered
Until the Organization Is
Completed.

The merchants in charge OF the move
ment to stablish new line of steamships
held an executive session in the Board o1
Trade rooms yesterday afternoon and ap-
pointed committees for each line OF busi-
ness interested in the plan.
The chairmsn of these committees are
as follows: S. B. Welch, w. R. Wheeler,
Levi Strauss, J. A. Foiger, F. w. Van
Charles Nj. Yates and L. l.. Brown. These
will Immediately circulate subscription
papers among the merchants, and ii Is ex'
pected that the minimum amount ($5OOC
q month) required for carrying out the
plan will soon be secured.
Eight men have already pledged them
selves to pay a subscription OF 500
month for three years. This brings
the amount actually subscri bed up to
$2S. 800.
Areport was made to the committe, by
gentleman of Monterey of the monopoly
the Oregon Railway and Navigation Com
pany has of the wharf at tnat city and the
hardship worked on the shippers By the
fact. the steamship company has had a
lease on the wharf by which they were
able to prevent any other steamers from
landing freight or taking 1t from the
wharf. The rates have been increased
from that point to San Diego to such an
extent that farmers can ship hay by way
of San Francisco to San Diego che aper
than from their own city. This Is only
one illustration OF the monopoly the COM
pany has at present.
Mr.. tolger said yesterday that the mer-
chants had been asked to meet the agents
of the Oregon Railway and Navigation
il
compromise, but had refused TO do SO. II:
is our intention" he said, "to complete
our organization and then We will see
what the company has to offer. Then We
will be in a position 10 protect ourselves II
satisfactory rates cannot be secured.
The statement of Mr.. Connors that 95
per cent of the freight now carried to
northern points is at rates OF from to
~ cents per hundred is disputed by Mr..
Rulofson. He says that from the printed
tariff sheet of the company he finds that
only beans, peas, sago, tapioca, sugar and
salt are carried at those low rates. As
there are in the neigh borhood of 60C0
articles in The Western classification list
it appears that only about one-tenth of l
per cent of the freight shipped is given
tue low rate Mr.. Connors claims. On the
remainder the merchants here pay high
rates, with the result tnat all profits are
cut Oft.
Inc com mlLt6e OdS mum per OF DfOpO-
stlons from steamship companies and
owners of pr vate vessels, ard when the
money is raised it will not take very long TO
put a lire OF vessels on the water.
Tue substance OF the agreement mer-
chants are asked TO sign is given below.
This has been submitted to a mum ber Of
attorneys. who have pronounced il to be
perfectly legal. The clause of the agree :
ment, relieving the slgners from any
further liability than the amount they
originally agree to sub -cribe, was put in
on account of the experience of the pro-
moters of The North American line some
years ago. This will tend 10 overcome any
fears of the merchants of becoming men,
bers OF an or aniZation which might entail
a heavy liability later. and Will no doubt
be the means of securing the signatures OF
meu who would otherwise hesitate to par
ticipate in the undertaking.
The agreement Is:
We, the subscribers hereto, each in consid-
Grafton of the promises aud agreements made
by each OF the others, do hereby mutually
agree each with the other, as follows:
That we do hereby subscribe and agree in the
manner hereinafter mentioned 10 butte
and pay the amount set opposite our respec-
and every month. from and including the
month OF November, 1897, TO and including
the month of Dseem Der, 1900, for the purposs
of encouraging competitive steamship line:
be tween San Francisco and other por Is of Cal
iforula, Oregon, Washington, British Colum
bla, Alaska ana NJ, xico.
A | subscriptions shall be paid to all execu