The daily morning Alaskan., 1899-12-30
NANIN[N RAI[
Merchants to Organize for
 Traffic Advantage.
MEET AND TAKE STEPS
objects to Secure Lower Fares In Opposition to the Ocean Route to Nome-ruts Have Been uade.

Ter k gwav's leading merchant. and shI pt freight from the Sound tc thls pnr Co in Fremen's nsll las. nigh to consider lraffit matters. Before adjourn ment there was appointed a committee con sising of Herman Mever, Larin,ie Mayer and A. A Anderson. to investigate and re- port at an early date on matters looking to the organization of shippers assoeia- tion. l. D. Spencer was chairman of the meeting.
 lt was understood before the meeting that one of the prime oIjects of the pro- meters was to secure uniform wharfage rates or lower wharfage rates, but from the report of one O. the leading merchants who was present the ultimate purpose of the proposed association is to secure lower rates on freight between the Sound and Skagway, to secure lower wharfage rates at this point, and to secure general reduc. tion of rates over the Skagway-Yukon route 10 Nome, with view of being able 10 compete with the ocean route for travel 10 the Arctic gold fields next spring and summer. In discussing the situation he said:
 Ut is necessary, under the circumstances, that there should be lower passenger rates all along the line from Seattle to St. Mich ael. The ocean fare Is sIoo first class and sSo second class to Nome. while by this route the rates that have prevailed will make It twice as expensive, and in the face of such odds the Skagwav Yukon route cannot expect Its share oi business. The tuttlng of rates one-half all along the route would swing the business and treble the travel this way.
 Lower passenger and freight rites to this land will mean for more hoped for de- velopment of the northern empire than under present conditions. Freight rates from Puget sound here are more than three times as great as from San Francisco to the Sonnd---Ihe distances over ths tg9, Ioylss runs Is virtually the same as regaros ecSt' with the possible exception of the em' ployment f an extra pilot for the north- ern run; and vessels are subjected to ocean buffetng on the California run. while In Alaska trade inland waters are iraversed' Wharfage charges in Seattle are 90 cents ton, in Skagway they have been held al sa ton. However, one wharf here has just cut to 30 cents ton. and one more It not two more are making less charges for heavy shippers by contract.
 "Tne entering wedge of rate war has been made by the Townsend cutting pas senger fares this week. She will likely cut freiah,s before four months. feel there will be freight war between the Sound -Sk ,gw V freigLters. The general freight Tate between San Franeise1 and Se' attIe Is :, a ton, with ST to sI.so on wholesale lots. Between Seattle and Skag' way the general rate is sIo, with rebate of as high as 20 per cent, the rebates being graduated according to the amount shipped" . The Sylvester wharf has recently made the wharfage rate SO cents ton to thos' making one veIr eonira:ts. The Moore | Wharf company has been charging g ton to all shippers. but Is new making rate of sI to hsavy shippers. and som' r dlscontentment has been oecasioned ol smaller shippers. l. D. Spencer, of tn . Spencer-Atkinson Co.,, who Is one of tn party of protest says:
 d "lhe customary rate of harfage owe E Moore's wharf is sz a ton, put It has bee '' learned the company has extended
 special rate of ST ton 10 three or fot
 local merchants. This is unfair for tn
 reason 1t places those not having the oene
 fit of the lower rate just dollar in dlsae
 vantage in selling. On some heavy com
 mon staples like coal and hay 1t simpl
 c,ts profits in two. We who have not Il
 lower rate are against a discrimination
 100 per cent.
 "l am not out to see the rates cut n
 tieularlv. In fact prefer a high prie town, but do want all men to be plae on an even and equal basis, Then we \ all compete from common standpoint \ C.E. Wynn-J,hnson, manager Of \ Moore whart company, does not deny c ' tracts have been granted to large local " ward shippers at lower rates, and says | . but natural that a large shipper or de' in any line should be given better "a ~ than a small dealer, just as a whole.
 buyer gets goods cheaper at retail.
 { The Pacific Coast Steamship comp;
 has offered special rates to those who [ contract with 1t for long time patrons 1 MT, Johnson says no wharf can be mi
 taIned here at profit on the charge of
 cents ton.