The San Francisco call., 1898-05-04
FREIGHT RATES
 MAY BE LOWERED
The Southern Pacific Company Has Made Some New
 Promises.
It Asks the Help of the Manuf@c- turers' and Producers Asso-
 citation.

There were several matters of no small
 interest discussed yesterday at the meet ing of the directors of the Manufacturers
 and Producers Association, over which
 the new president, A. Sbarboro, presided.
 The first was a report by F. Everett or
 the traffic committee upon the lnequah-
 tics in the matter of rates between east and westbound freghts Several weeks ago a letter was sent to the members of the association giving figures that showed that hundreds of articles Of merchandlse can be sent from the East to this coast much cheaper than the similar articles can be sent from this coast to the East. Mir Everett stated that MT. Stubbs Of the Southern Pacific Company was much an- moved at the publication of the letter, but nevertheless the officials of the railroad showed a manifest disposition to deal fairly with the Western manufacturers.
 Mir Everett was sure of this. because Mir. Stubbs had promised to do all in his power to have his company equalize the rates. the corporation having already committed itself in this direction. That railroad official stated that his company will work to accomplish the wishes of the association at the meeting of the trans continental convention of railroad men, which takes place in Milwaukee within the next week or two. MT, Stubbs told MT Everett that the Sontnern tb snv Faclbc IF me matter of changing the rates so as to conform to the wishes Of the Western shippers and manufaeturers' the Eastern roads no doubt. being determined to favor the Eastern people as much as pos sible. Looking at the situation. MT. Stubbs said he expects to have flght on his hands when he stands up In the in- terests of the Western people at the com ing convention.
 The same official told MT. Everett that he would like to have committee from the association attend the convention so as to show the representatives of the Eastern roads that the Western manufac- turers and public are making the demand for justice and fairness in the matter of rates J. W. Kerr stated that the South ern Pacific Company has found that 1t must assist in the development of the roads are no longer feeders of that sys- tenn. It was decided that Mir. Everett should attend the convention as the rep resentative of the association and get as many more of the members as he can to accompany him.
 The matter of pure food was discussed at length. It was the belief of the di- rectors that much good could be accom- plished by having the Government regu- late the issuance of the proposed war tax stamps by making the tax on pure foods much lighter than upon stuff that, Is not pure or mixed. To this end Presi- dent Sbarboro was directed to send the following dispatch to the Pacific Coast in Washington
 In framing new revenue law the Man ufacturers and Producers Association of California requests discrimination in favor of pure food articles by light stamp taxes on pure food products and heavier taxes on, mixed and substitute food products.
 The directors decided to accept the in- vitation of Chief Sullivan of the Fire De- partment to witness an exhibition of his new fire tower to-day at the foot of Bay street, and also to extend to him a vote of thanks for his close attention to the interests of the manufacturing district of this city. Five new members were elect ed. Manager Lewis reported that a lot of Oregon beer Is being brought into this city to the. injury of a number of the brewers. The matter was left in his ar1dc f0. inN ion