The San Francisco call., 1897-03-03
DIRECT LINE TO OAKLAND
Commission Men Intend to Run
River Steamers This
Season.
Conference With Steam boat Man.
ayers, Who Are Inclined to
Indorse the Project.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL,

9OS Broadway, March 2. !
The scheme by which Oaklanders will
be able to purchase all kinds of produce
at prices below those now charged took a
big advance to-day. An outline OF the
expected change was published in THE
CALL yesterday morning, and to-day there
was meeting of all those interested to es-
tablish direct line of river steamers to
this city.
Messrs. Manuel and Rouse, two OF the
largest local comm ission dealers, held q
conference this afternoon with river
steam boat men OF San Francisco, the re.
suit of which will be that Captain Ander-
son of the California Transportation Com
pany will either run boat to Oakland di-
rect in the near future or else Oakland
dealers will charter or build steamer for
themse yes.
The conference was held with II. ]. Cor
coran, representing the California Naviga-
ton and improvement Company, and
Captain Anderson OF the California Trans
portation Company. Both OF these COM
panies have fleet of small steamers and
transport large quantities OF produce
between Sacramento, Suisun Bay and San
Francisco.
This is the same district that supplies
the Oakland market with produce, but
hitherto it has always had to come to this
side of the bay through San Francisco
houses.
Messrs. Manuel and Rouse produced
maps and statistics to show the extent of
the prod uce trade in this city, with the
object of convincing the steamboat men
that it would pay to run a line of special
boats direct to Oakland. The dealers
made a good showing. They proved that
the 100 600 people on this side of the bay
use 1000 sacks of potatoes day the year
around.
On the s A. NJ boat every day there comes
over from San Francisco an average of 100
tons of freight for Oakland commission
houses. In the canning season the ship
men:s to the large canneries in this city
sometimes amount to 300 tons day.
The steamboat, companies representa-
tives think their steamers are too large for
the trade, as they are about 600 tons ca
pacity. Captain Anderson took oil the
figures submitted and promised a definite
answer at an early day. If he should
decline 10 run line OF boats to Oakland
il is proposed to organize local company
and charter or build boats. Calculations
show that in the busy season, lasting
FIVE months, q daily boat would be
required, and at other times boat
every second day. This would enable
Oakland dealers to ship potatoes as CHI ap
as Sacramento dealers, or little cheaper.
One 11rm In this CITY frequently nanQleS
six or eight carloads of potatoes day.
This change in steam boat traffic Will
also cause change In the location of the
com m isson-houses. They will establish
themselves on the Adams wharf property,
where they will have a warehouse, rail-
road side tracks and ample facilities for
business.
1t has been calculated that when Oak
land dealers buy fruit and vegetables on
Jackson-street wharf in San Francisco
seven different handling are required to
lay them down in this city, and the
freight across the bay costs as much as the
frei ht from the grower TO San Francisco.
A local dealer said to-day that cante.
loupes often sell in San Francisco for 25
cents per crate of 100 pounds. To get that
freight to Oakland costs 20 cents and here
the commission-dealer adds cents, max
ing a total of SO cents to the local retailer.
When the new plan is in operation the
retailer will have to pay only the original
25 cents per crate. There are other lines
of produce in which it is said the differ
ence is as great.