The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-12-15
INCREASE CAUSED
BY AGREEMENT.
American Hawaiian Company Is Do
Minated, Say The
Shippers.
VOLUNTARY RAISE SUICIDAL.
General Freight Agent Sutton States
That Rates Will Be
Raised.
VOLUNTARY RAISE SUICIDAL

SAN FRANCISCO, December 3-Gos- !
sip was rife yesterday concerning the |
forces back of the proposal of the |
American-Hawaiian Steamship Com !
pany to increase eastbound rates af- |
fecting California commodities, the !
consensus of opinion being that the adj !
vance is no less than a piece of stra-
tegy. and that the great railroad in
terests have crushed the precious in
dependence of the big ocean freight
line.
The suggestion that the Hartman
interests have purchased the control,
or any part of the steamship company
is lacking official confirmation, but it
is believed in most business circles
that the proposed increase of rates is
the direct outgrowth of a traffic agree
ment dictated by the transcontinental
railroads.
By what means the Hartman inter
ests have succeeded in perfecting the
suspected traffic arrangement, under
which the American-Hawaiian Com
| pany will follow whatever advances of
rates are made by the transconti-
mental railroads, is something which
none can suggest, let alone explain.
But it is said there is the knowledge
that an officer of the Southern Pacific
Company a month ago made the state
ment that the Hartman railroads did
| fn cta oh in I'D fhof
it's rates would be raised.
The rates will be raised, according
to Allen M. Sutton, the general freight
agent of the American Hawaiian Com
pany.
The rates, furthermore, will be
raised, it is said, about the day on
which the advanced tariffs of the
transcontinental lines will go into eff
feet.
And, moreover, the rates, Sutton has
admitted, will correspond in most par
ticulars to the railroads, 10 per cent
horizontal increase, and as far as is
now known, they will affect only Cali
fOrnia and only California products.
SIGNIFICANCE IN ADMISSIONS.
These startling admissions, coming
as a sequence to the reported boast Of
a high Southern Pacific officer that the
3 Hartman railroads had already pro.
vided for an increase of the rates oi
the American Hawaiian Steamship Co.
are alive with significance, say ship.
pers.
There is no question but that there
has been a traffic agreement made,
says Joseph Durney, director of the
Merchants Exchange.
81 can see the strength of the Harri
> man interests in this proposed increase
of rates of the Hawaiian
}. Company" says Albert Frank, vice
president of the big tanning firm of S
D H. Frank & Co. Evidently the adj
vance of rates was planned long age
and it is the purpose to exact tal
! from us in one way if not in another
obviously the railroads and thu
q steamship line have come together,
,, says George J. Bradley, manager of tn,
These opinions were echoed through
out business circles yesterday. Ant
,. business men defy the steamship lin
T to offer single logical reason for
J, voluntary advance of rates when tn
2 maintenance of existing rates appar
= emily is to its best interests.
Numerous inquiries at business
houses failed to establish that tn
|. steamship company had notified its pa
= irons of the proposed increase. Fo
fully month some have awaited sue
advices, as it had been expected tina
|. increases would be made of rates OF
specific commodities.
I INCREASES INDICATED.
Two weeks ago it was learned tina
the rate on leather would be slightI
increased. 1t was learned also tina
canned fruits would be required t
bear an advance of about 5 cents
hundred pounds. All efforts to estab
fish officially the character and exten
of the advances were met with tn
statement that the contemplated tariff
had not been received from New York
There was no intimation by the of
ficers Of the steamship company tina
a horizontal increase of rates was con
templated, but to the contrary, the i'm
preston was created that one or tw
changes would be made in order t
J. place traffic on a strictly profitabl
. basis. 1t was explained that tn
Amerlcan-Hawaiian Company had no
been in business for a great period o
time and, consequently, adjustments O
rates were constantly being made
Shippers were assured that they woul
be advised Of contemplated increase
of the rates on their specific com
modities.
In view of these statements and IN
apparently o0nslderate attitude Of IA