The herald., 1897-11-16
DON'T WANT 1T
chary Of the Blanket
Freight Rate
AND THE STEAMSHIP LINE
REPORT ON THE ATTEMPT TO
GAIN MEXICAN TRADE
Important Meeting Of the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association.
Result of the Albion's Trip

The first business to come before the
meeting was the question of giving
moral support to the San Francisco mer-
chants, who propose TO inaugurate a
steamship line up and down the coast,
making a blanket rate out of San Fran
cisco of $1.00 per ton on all freight.
Mr.. Boole, of the Union Hardware
and Metal company. took position in
favor of cooperating with the San Fran
cisco merchants in all matters that tend
to build up the Pacific coast jobbing
trade. and to drive out the eastern job
bers who were at present doing very
large business in this section of the west.
f. w. Braun could not understand how
a lower coastwise blanket rate out OF
San Francisco and into Los Angeles and
other Pacific ports could in any way as
sist in driving st. Louis and Chicago job
bers out of the field west of the Rocky
mountains He wanted to do anything
he could to assist the Pacific coast job
Der in coming to the front and in driving
out the middle west wholesaler. But he
was not in favor of bringing San Fran
cisco into competition with Los Angeles
in the southern parts, and this would be
the effect of a low blanket rate out OF the
Pacific coast metropolis
p. Nj. Daniel of the Pacific Coast
Crockery company, also took de-
termined stand against giving any sup
port to an independent steamship line
on the coast.
e. s. Stuart of Craig, Stuart q Co,
was not in favor of encouraging. even
morally San Francisco merchants to
enter Los Angeles with a very low rate
of freight and competing with home
dealers. This, Mr.. Stuart thought, was
what they would do. They would, with
a low blanket rate come down here and
unload their surplus
President Frank thought that possibly
with San Francisco and Los Angeles in
the field invaded by the middle western
jobber, the result would be Il new COM
petitor for business. division of the
trade into three parts, and the ultimate
result would be the driving cut of the st.
Louis and Chicago jobbers.
Mr.. Braun thought that it would be
good idea to investigate the subject be-
fore acting. He thought that it would
first be good idea to communicate with
the commercial bodies of Portland and
Seattle and ascertain what their eEpe-
rence had been in securing IL low rate
from San Francisco to those points.
r. W. Burnham made a motion en-
bodying Mr. Braun's IL a. Which Was
adopted. \ NJ y X
The following report was read by the
secretary from E. C. SatteElse.aW aWlfo was
appointed by the assceiatien .tr go to
Mexico on the steamer Albion.
Having just returned from a trip to
Mexico on the steamer Albion. which
is under the auspices of the I4oNer Cal
iforna Development company, from
your association was rendered transpor
tation in the interest of trade; and in
view of the fact that ! awaited myself
of such transportation, l now report to
you in brief regarding the prospects for
trade
To begin with I was we'll received by
the Mexican people. and they expressed
themselves as agreeable to trade rela-
tions but they We're free to admit that
the import duties barred them from do
ing much with the United States. 1t
is almost safe to say that there is an
import duty on everything. However,
they would be glad to meet our mer-
chants and providing prices are ad-
NuHldStOUS anu II uiiaPpi tSlloii ittNiii-
ties assured, they will divide their pat
ronage. 1t is evident that there are a
great many houses along the coast
whose dealings are extensive and whose
credit is unquestionably A /. Many of
the houses are branches of foreign
houses, principally German, and are
backed by their millions. This condi
tions of affairs has existed for many
years and the most cordial relations are
thereby established. The Mexican peo-
pie are very slow to make changes
Hence. it is of course desra bic to court
their trade and to make a beginning in
the hope of permanent relations. To
this end Los Angeles needs, first of ALL
an assured boat line. The steamer AL
bion now making the trips sails under
the American flag and is therefore COM
PEELED to get advices from the City of
Mexico upon arrival at each port for
permission to load and unload freight
The Albion is not fitted for the trade
and the Lower California Development
company, appreciating this fact, have
had constructed in England a boat spe-
cially adapted to the trade and it is
now on the way over. From conf
Dental sources l learned that it is the
intention to put the new boat line under
the Mexican flag. This will be an ad-
vantage in Mexican ports, for freight
can be handled without the formality
above mentioned. Still it works a dis
advantage in that the laws make it
difficult to land in American ports.
However, at present they are compelled
to come north for coal. 1t is claimed
that they can coal at San Diego to
much better advantage than at San
Pedro In this connection | note by the
San Diego Union of the 10th inst that
: the Albion will not go to San Pedro and
that as soon as she has coaled she will
proceed to Ensenada and the lower
ports. 1 also note that the representa-
tives from san Diego, who accompanied
us on the recent trip. report glowing
prospects for trade between that city
and Mexico. AS l have said, with ia
vorable conditions as to boat line run
ming on schedule time from San Pedro
our merchants can make a beginning
and in some lines perhaps do well. But
at best it will take considerable time and
careful work before they can expect to
secure a strong foothold.
So, in conclusion, it behooves us to
have all arrangements for Il boat line
to our port an assured fact before we
can go into that country and compete
with San Francisco and the foreign mar
kets San Francisco houses have an ex-
cellent trade all along the coast, and
European houses send many ships an
nually, carrying thousands of tons of