The San Francisco call., 1908-12-22
and Producers
of State Enlist in the
Campaign

simultaneously in almost every por-
chants and growers have united to CO.
operate with the San Francisco busi
nessmen to prevent the threatened in
crease in freight rates. Not only are
the shippers organizing from the
northern to the southern boundary, but
they have received offers OF assistance
from Oregon. Furthermore. they have
begun an active campaign with the
idea of carrying the matter to the floor
of the state legislature if the rail-
roads persist in enforcing the in
creased schedule. Not satisfied even
with these precautions the mercantile
interests have made plans for line
of steamships to operate In opposition
10 the transcontinental roads. In short,
the shippers have switched from the
defensive to assume the aggressive.
MANY ENCOURAGING REPORTS
The local committee. which is direct
ing the movement, received encourag-
ing reports yesterday from the coast
and interior cities to which the move
ment has spread. Napa. Stockton.
Fresno, Los Angeles. Sacramento and
other important shipping points wired
yesterday to the central organization
Of their plans for big mass meetings
and stated that the shippers were a
unit in their determination to resist to
the last the additional $4,000 900 tax
which the railroads desire to impose.
Already there are rumors that the
transcontinental lines will suspend the
eastbound increases, but nothing official
VIII be announced until the companies
have held a conference.
In case the railroads decide to stand
pat there is every reason to believe
that 1t will bring to the Pacific fast
line of freighters between coast ports
and the isthmus of Panama. Los An
geles and local capitalists have already
organized a company and are merely
awaiting the action of the railways.
In addition the government through
the war department. and the canal COM
mission, has made tentative offers of q
regular steamship service from Pacific
coast points to Panama The two gov
ernment vessels now preparing to
round the Horn for service on the At
lantic. the Shawmut and the Trenton.
have been offered a greater cargo than
they can accommodates
AS an indication of the difference in
rates the prospective trips of these two
steamers is of interest. They have
been purchased by the government and
are to go on the run to the isthmus on
the Atlantic side. Instead of sending.
them around empty the government
this port-ss For. the same service for
which the transcontinentaI lines charge
75 cents and propose now to charge S5
cents and for which the American
Hawaiian steamship company charges.
so cents. the government will charge
only 321s cents. Local shippers are
offering immense cargoes. The low
rate has come as a great stimulus to
trade. The vessels. however, will make
but this one trip.
PACIFIC MAIL AWAKENS
It is known TO the railroad people
that the new line is projected on the
Pacific, and for the first time in many
years the agents of the Pacific Mail
line. controlled by the Hartman inter-
ests, have been soliciting shipments
this week for their Panama business.
Among the reports from outside dis
tricts that came yesterday to c. H.
Bentley. chairman. and c. J. Bradley.
secretary of the shippers committee,
was one from Colonel Philo Hersey of
San Jose. Herscy is in charge of the
campaign in the Santa Clara valley. lie
reported yesterday by wire as follows:
The people Of Santa Clara valley are
aroused and much excited over the pro-
posed increased freight tariff by the
transcontinental railroads. The bur-