El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-20
''GUAYMAS
TERMINAL"
Described and is fife cts
Shown BY Secretary
Russell.
TARIFFS ARE NO GUlO
To the Real Rates That p evaiI, Ow
ing TO the Doubtful poloy OF
the Qoats Involved.

of the chamber of commerce to Her
aid reporter yesterday. by the inter
views with two railway commercial
agents at FL Paso. wherein II was
demonstrated to- nicely. with Facts
and figures. that as a matter OF fact
Ell Paso has the best Of any point west
of the Mississippi. in the matter OF
freight rates IL was welcome news
To FL Paso shippers. especially those
who have been shown. many times. IN
voices of goods laid down at sundry
points in New Mexico. and Arizona by
New Mexico jobbers at prices actually
below the cost OF the goods TO the FL
Paso jobbeT.
There is one point however. upon
which the interviews did not shed
enough light. That point has to do
with the various devices by which rail-
way companies and their agents bring
to naught the conclusions based upon
the published tariff sheets. Ii Is easy
for any one familiar with tariff sheets
to demonstrate that FL Paso has rates
which should make her shippers wear
one universal and perpetual smile.
But when these shippers undertake to
do business in competition with Ari-
IONA and New Mexico jobbers. the
smile quickly vanishes. FL Paso job
beers of course buy as cheaply in the
east as do the merchants OF New Mex
leo and Arizona Yet FL Paso ship
pers cannot meet the prices made by
their competitors in those territories.
No one doubts that FL Paso mer-
chants are as enterprising. as ener-
getic. as snrewd. as keen and persis-
tent in chasing a chance to trade. as
are the merchants OF the less favored
points with which Ell Paso completes.
Now when FL Paso merchants tell us
that they cannot compete with the
mi
north and west of FL Paso. there is
but one possible explanation of the
fact No amount OF argument based
upon published tariffs will convince FL
Paso shippers that they have an even
break with much less a substantial
advantage over. their competitors in
the territories.
But the FL PaSo shipper is not left
10 vague suspicion as to the means by
which his territorial competitors I'M
Lermine his tariff-shee advantage. Here
is one OF the specific cases of discrim-
ination against Ell Paso which the
transportation committee discovered
during the eight months when it was
doing nothing about freight rates. Ii
is a case which proves that published
tariff sheets do not tell the whole
story. From the published tariffs the
rates from Chicago and st. Louis to FL
Paso and Tucson are shown to be as
follows upon a certain class of goods.
per one hundred pounds:
Chicago or st. Louis to FL Paso.- 66cts
FL Paso TO Tucson. ......... 10Scts
Combined rate. Chicago or St.
Louis to FL Paso and Tucson. .174cts
Chicago or st. Louis to Tucson
direct ..... ................1S 3ctS
Difference in favor of Ell Paso.. Gets
THAT is to say. FL Paso jobbers can.
according to the tariff sheets. lay down
goods in Tucson with nine cents the
advantage over the Tucson jobber.
And of course. coming back to points
between Tucson and FL Paso. the Ell
Paso jobbers' advantage is still great
er. There IL is. as plain as day. What
could the transportation committee
say to a railway man. in the face of
the figures? Nevertheless the commit
tee knew. as every Ell Paso shipper
knows. that in some inexplicable man
ner the FL PaSo jobber is shut out from
competition with Tucson jobbers at in
termediate points. not to mention Tue
son itself
Fortunately. while cropping in the
dark the committee accidentally found
one explanation &C the mystery. 1t
transpires that there is a peculiar non
descript thing. a cross between a ia
rantula and a thumbscrew. known as
the 'Guaymas terminal 1t is noctur-
nal in its habits. and its chief mission
appears to- be to burrow in the tariff
sheets and chew up the advantage
which FL Paso is supposed to enjoy
over Tucson This is the way il bur
rows.
Chicago or ST Louis to Quay
mas. Mex. via Benson and
NogaleS ....... ....--...... 10 cts
Guaymas back to Nogales. .. 23Iz cts
Nogales TO Tucson --.----. 40 cts
Chicago or st. Louis via Quay
mas To- Tucson .I3S. cts
Chicago or st. Louis to- FL Paso
and Tucson. combined rate I74 cts
Difference in favor of Tucson 35.5 cts
That is to- say. while the published
tariff sheets give FL Paso an apparent
advantage of nine cents over Tucson
the Guaymas terminal gives Tucson
an actual advantage over Ell Paso of
35.5 cents. These are the figures as
they were given by gentleman who
had had occasion to become familiar
with the facts because his own bust
ness had felt the sting OF the Guaymas
terminal. Even if the figures should
not prove to be strictly correct. the
essential fact is that the Guaymas ter
minal rate has been employed to give
Tucson jobbers secret and unfair
advantage over I'll Paso jobbers
or course 'Guaymas terminal ship
mentS Tor tucson never go to Quay
mas They are billed to- Guaymas but
shipped directly to Tucson.
WHY do not FL Paso shippers work
the 'Guaymas terminal racket? Sim
ply because. while the rate from Chi
cago or st. Louis to Guaymas is 10
cents. the rate from FL Paso to Quay
mas Is III cents. which added To the
66lcent rate from Chicago or St. Louis
TO III Paso makes 1S3 cents as the
combined rate from Chicago or st.
louis to FL Paso. and on to- Guaymas.
NJ L.. IL