The San Francisco call., 1897-10-16

advance in rates be etween here and Port
land Is the result of a com pact entered into
with the merchants of that city by the
! company, whereby those merchants have
agreed that the bulk of their transcon-
tinental business on westbound shipments
snail be over the Oregon Railway and
Naviga ton lines. In return for his, the
conn any agreed to ra s. ths rates between
San Francisco and Portland in order 10
freeze our merchants out OF competition.
! The company is perfectly willing TO raise
its rates so high on its steamer line ss to
make them practlcalIy prohibit1ve, il 4
rival does not enter the field ami es ablish
a line of ships between the two ports.
"By reason of its contiguity, Portland
will always get the major share of the
trade, and, therefore, our fight is not with
them, but we want the balance OF the trade
to come here instead of going 10 ST. Louis,
Chicago, st. Paul, Minneapolis and other
Eastern points. Itis purely a matter oi
self-preservation.
1t was further explained that the twenty
subscriptions of $1,000 each already m ade
are conditional, inasmuch as 1t is under
stood that the merchants OF this city must
generally take an interest in the propo sed
line. 1t is believed that the line will be
under way as early as Novem Der l. as the
A Asska craze is a bout over for the season
and plenty of vessels ara to be had. Bg
spring there will doubtless be plenty OF
them to be secured.
The moneyed interests are aroused to
action. This is evidenced by the TACT that
the merchants committee announced
yesterday that more than $75 900 has al
ready been subscribed 10 establish the
prop sed line of steamers north and
south. 1t is probable that the projectors
will first turn their attention to the Alaska
trade. Temporarily craft will have 10 be
chartered, and at the earliest possible no.
ment ships manufactured IN the local
yards will be put on the run.
The common opinion expressed by ship.
owners ana other men interested in the
enterprise is that the Alaska line, with
headquarters at San Francisco, will have
to be a through line. Fer this reason it is
hardly possible that any of the steamers
will be sent to ST. Michael, Juneau and
Dyea by way of Puget Sound. This will
have The desired effect Of making San
Francisco the headquar ters of the Alaskan
trade.
There is little encouragement in the
Mexican trade, but the outlook for the
Central American countries is mucl bet
ter. Ii Mex CO ever redeems herself in the
world of finance she will take her place on
the list OF those TO whom frst-ciass facili-
ties for trade are 10 DC given.
A. Q. Rulofson OF Baker & Hamilton
states that the larger commercial estab-
lishmen,s OF the city have already Pledged
bout $75. 600 to the undertaking, and this
amount is more than enough 10 insure its
success. He has prepared an inteTes tin 2
schedule Of freight rates bearing on the
underl aking, which shows that they are
here nearly double what they are on the
Atlantic seaboard, where be calls the cor
petition Legitimate. He further made
the following statement:
The committee particularly wish to state
that this line is not in te nd ed 10 be hostile 10
the transportation companies now operating,
nor do they care 10 discredit the statements
that the freight cannot be handled on less
than the existing rates, tut simply wish 10
demonstrate for themselves whether by the
econ omical administration of an inde ependen
line not burdened with unnecessary expenses
they cannot earn enough to defray the actual
expenses Of carrying the freights without the