The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-10-19
Trade With Orient as Well
as Coast Commerce Is
Considered
DELvES INTO RATES
Uncle SANS Preliminary
Steps for Competing With
Pacific Mail

President c. II. Bentley of the
chamber of commerce has taken up
the task Of providing the war depart
nent of the United States with all
the information available in San Fran
cisco that the department requires
preliminary to considering the sdvis-
ability of putting on a line of steam
ships to compete with the Pacific Mail
between the istlanus of Panama and
San Francisco and other Pacific coast
ports. A committee has been ap-
pointed by Bentley, with Captain Viii
liam Matson as chairman, and includ-
ing George D. Gray and James Nc
Nab.
This information has been asked for
by Joseph l. Bristow. who was sp-
pointed a special commissioner by
President Roosevelt two years ago TO
look into the steamship service between
American ports. and is now under in
structions by the war department to
proceed further along the same lines
BRIsToW MAKES INQUIRY
Il am advised by the secretary of
war" Bristow has written TO the cham
hers of commerce Of san Francisco,
Los Angeles. san Diego. Portland. Seat
tie and Tacoma, that while the service
Of the Pacific Mail steamship company
has not been withdrawn. that # is
very unsatisfactory- He has advised
me to take 8 further inquiry as TO the
sdvissbiIity Of the government estab-
fishing a steamship line between the
Pacihc coast ports of the United States
and Panama
At first it was supposed that the In
auiry would deal largely and to a GER
tain extent exclusively with the Ques-
tion OF how much freight pro-
vided By the government as a canal
builder and in its capacity of furnish
inE supplies for the great naval and
military plants 10 be located at San
francisco and for the insulsr pos
sessions Of the United States in the
Pacific would move by sea- Now 1t
is developed that the scope OF the pro-
posed governmental line of steamships
is much wider.
QUESTIONS on SHIPMENTS
Bristow has submitted list OF ques-
tions to the several chambers Of COM
nerce of the Pacific coast regarding all
sorts OF freight that can be moved by
sea. as follows.
What kind Of freight originates in
san Francisco and the vicinity within
It's commercial radius for shipment to
The eastern part of the United States
and Europe?
what part Of this freight could be
successfully transported by way of
Panama?
Are there any articles Of such
freight that it would not be prac-
tlcable to ship by way OF Panama? If
50. please name the articles and the
reason why shipment by way of Pana-
ma would be impracticsble-
What percentage OF the freight that
could be successfully shipped by the
way OF Panama is transported by that
route? What part by the Straits of
Masellsn2 What part by the trans
continental rsilroads7
PLEASE state in detail why any part
OF the freight that it IS practicable
to ship by the way OF Panama is not
shipped by that route.
what ere the principal articles of
freight shipped from San Francisco to
points east of the Allegheny noun
tains7 What are the principal articles
Of freight that are shipped from San
francisco 10 the Mississippi valley ?
What are the freight rates charged on
each OF the principal articles OF such
freight?
what are the principal articles of
freight received at San Francisco from
Europe, the eastern coast Of the United
states and the Mississippi vaIley7 What
are the freight rates charged on the
principal articles:"
INFORMATION Is SOUGHT
These are followed by series OF
other questions. in which it is asked
pointedly as follows:
II a large part of the freight that
could be shipped by way Of Panama
is shipped By other routes. please state
the resson2"
What American steamship COM
psnies doing business on the Pacific
coast have vessels that would be
equipped for handling efficiently cargo