The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-05
EASTERN JOBBERS' FIGHT.
PACIFIC COAST JUBBERs WILL
PROTECT THEMSELVES,
H. d. Loveland Explains the Real
Issue and Tells Of the st.
Louis Meeting.

A meeting Of the Pacific Coast Job
bers' and Manufacturers Association
was held at the Chamber of Commerce
| rooms yesterday afternoon, William
Schaw presiding.
Mr.. Schaw stated that the object of
the meeting was to take action in op
position to the effort by Eastern job
bers to have the railroad freight rates
changed SO as to afford them an inlet
to the Pacific Coast and an opportu-
nifty to capture it's business They
want the through rate changed to a
graded one and carload rates made the
same as for small lots of freight, and
the difference obliterated between re-
tail and wholesale rates. The case
came up in ST. Louis on the 18th ult.,
before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission and able representatives were
sent from this city, H. D. Loveland,
Chairman of the Traffic Committee, be-
ing one of them, and the case of Cali
fornia was presented, it's justice being
apparent.
Mr.. Loveland said that he met with
the Interstate Commerce Commission
plaintiffs put on large number of
witnesses and said they wished to put
on one more at the next hearing. Moth
ing occurred that should disturb the
people ON the coast Their case was
not strong and their principal point
was on differentials. They attempted
to show that water competition was
not active at present, but failed to do
so. The coast put in as little testi-
mony as possible, preferring to reserve
it. Afterwards, the cross examination
of their witnesses exposed the weak
ness of their contention.
The Interstate Commission is not
going to force the railroads into the
hands of receivers. The water trans
portatiOn companies want business,
and the railroads do also and are 60
ing to give the best rates they can
afford to. 1t is not a matter of phil
anthrophy, but of business. Some
dealers on this coast have imagined
that if the ST. Louis jobbers win their
point they 0he dealers) will get the
benefit in lower prices, but when Mr..
Simmons, one of the prominent petit
TONERS, was cross-examined, he ac-
knowledged that they did not intend to
give their coast customers the bene-
fit of the lower rate, but would keep it
themselves.
The commission will meet at San
Francisco on January 10Th and take
the testimony in favor of the coast. 1t
will be shown that if the Eastern job
bers win their fight, the coast jobbers
will have to quit business and the
Eastern men will cinch the coast roy
ally.
Mr.. Loveland said that it was diff
cult on the coast to get the business
men to attend the meetings, while in
St. Louis the court room was crowd
ed all day long during the five days
session. by jobbers from ST. Louis to
Minneapolis, many Of whom presented
petitions to be allowed to intervene,
and all the petitions were granted. This
Denver jobbers alone stood by the
coast.
The Eastern jobbers attacked the
coast jobbers through the railroads,
which have nothing to do with the
matter. It is simply fight to take
the coast trade from the coast jobbers
and control it for their own profit.
They are unit in the fight. They
say they can raise all the money they
want to fight the matter and will fight
it to a finish. They ridicule the re-
port that the coast raised $4,000 for
the fight and say that is nothing to
their 100000 for the same purpose
and that they can get more if they
want it.
Some of the big retailers on the coast
think it will help them if a graded rate
is made, but they are wofully mistak-
en- They forget that the mammoth
department stores in the East will take
immediate advantage of it and sell di-
rect to the coast consumers, and thus
control the trade, making it an ad-
junct to their own and taking away
the independence of the coast trade
If the Eastern jobbers can win their
case finally in Washington, in a few
years there will be no coast jobbers at
all and all the coast trade will be con-
trolled by the East, which it will build
up inatead of the coast. If the petit
ton is sustained buyers can only pur-
chase in ST Louis and not in New
York and Eastern cities, as the graded
rate will be against them 1t is sim
ply a fight of the jobbers for territory
Mr.. Schaw said that Sacramento
stands in line on the proposition and
will do her share of anything decided
on and deemed best. She is heartily
in accord with the movement.
Mr. Loveland said he had always
found that to be the case in all mat
tiers and it was a pleasure for him to
come here on such business He had
also found Sacramento open-handed in
year at the Knights Templar Conclave.
It was resolved to work earnestly to
collect testimony for the hearing next
month and to enlighten the people of
the State on the real issue at stake.