The San Francisco call., 1904-12-30
HARTMAN CUTS
RATES ON SEAS
Begins War on the Lumber
SchOOners Plying Between
This Port and Portland
SCHWERIN TO THE FORE
Charters Vessels to Fight
Competitors in the Inter
est of Oregon Merchants

President z. H. Hartman Of the big
Western railroad system and steamship
lines has declared war on the lumber
schooner owners engaged in ocean traf-
&c between here and Portland. Yes
terday the first step was taken by the
railroad magnate to show the schooner
men that he means business. when the
schooner Nome City was offered on the
Columbia River 10 carry lumber to this
city at a rate Of 81 so per 1000, which
is 81 so less than the regular rate
charged by the schoOners. This an
nouncement was followed by the dec
laration that the Hartman people
were ready TO place several more
schOOners on the route and that unless
the schooner men quit cutting rates the
Oregon Railroad and Navigation Com
pany, through which Hartman is act
ing viii carry on the war relentlessly.
Harriman's move is the result of a
recent protest made by the merchants
and jobbers of Portland to General
Manager Schwerin of the Oregon Rail-
road and Navigation Company, to the
effect that the schooner men were cut
ting rates below those of the Oregon
Railroad and Navigation Company.
thus greatly injuring business in that
city. A representative Of the COM
nRrcial bodies of Portland was sent
10 this city to confer with General
Manager Schwerin, who assured them
that he would take the matter up with
president Hartman and Traffic Direc-
tor Stubbs. The result was a decision
10 charter several schOOnerS and enter
into competition with the schooner
men. The first vessel chartered was
the Nome City, the property Of George
=. Gray & Co, having a carrying ca
pacity Of 100000 feet.
The trouble has been agitating the
Portland business men for several
weeks. Some time ago Russell &
Rogers were operating the schooner
Kiiburn between here and Watson
willie and il is claimed that the South
ern Pacific Company suddenly deprived
them Of the business by cutting the
rate by rail TO that point In conse-
ouence the owners of the schooner
were compelled to take off their vessel
and finally placed her on the coast be-
tween here and Portland. They are
said TO have begun the rate cutting.
II was quickly followed by the owners
of other schOOners who find it profitable
70 carry freight on deck and lumber
below deck. 1t is also said that the
schooner men. who, in the recent pas
senger rate war with the Pacific Coast
Steamship Company, in which the Har-
rlTnan lines We're also involved to some
extent. settled their troubles by an
agreement to a water rate of S12 80. as
against the Oregon Railroad and Navi-
cation COmpany's regular nate of s15
Lately il is charged that the schooner
men, encouraged by the increasing
passenger business between here and
Portland, as a result OF the approach
ing opening Of the Lewis and Clark
exposition, have been cutting their rate
10 SO and this fact is supposed to have
aroused the Indignation Of. Hartman
and is expected TO end in his making
q further move to block the schooner
men in their scheme TO get more than
Hartman considers their share Of the
passenger traffic.