The San Francisco call., 1908-08-10
Local Shippers VIII File Com
plant Against Southern
Pacific and Santa Fe
Switching and Icing Charges
Are Specified as Means of
Increasing Revenue
Tariff on Vegetables Shipped to
New York Is Said to
Show Discrimination

Local shippers have been gathering
evidence for the past two weeks to
submit to the interstate commerce
commission to show that the South
ern Pacific and the Santa Fe rail-
roads, while openly announcing that
there VIII be no increase in freight
rates, have been furtvely piling extra
charges here and there until the total
amounts to a substantial augmentation
of the published schedule. The entire
matter brings the rate question up in
d new form and will become the sub
5ect Of discussion at the session Of the
interstate board to be held next week
in san Francisco
Merchants affected by the new order
Of things Charge that the railroads
arc. by their recently adopted policy,
nuIlifying the effect Of the legislation
fathered by the Roosevelt administra-
ton The underlying principle was to
place the supervision OF freight charges
with the federal government. The rail-
conceivable form OF charge, and in their
endeavors 20 make II complete the
fathers Of the document made it a
pamphlet OF several pages. Now. how
ever. the railroads are alleged TO have
discovered a number of crevices and
are said TO have found means of in
creasing the rates in a way not spe-
cifcaIly covered by the statute. The
intention of the local shippers IS to
test the legality Of the newly adopted
measures, and either 10 have them de-
clared void or to have the law so
amended as to bring them. under the
Jurisdiction Of congress.
INCREASE UNDER NEW CHARGE
One Of the most important Of these
devices adopted by both the Santa Fe
and the Southern Pacific is the new
form OF switching charge. In the past
the two lines imposed a fat rate of
$3.50 a car. The Jobbers' association
protested and made this switching
charge the subject OF a special COM
plant before the interstate board. This
charge, il was asserted, was made
0nly at San Francisco and not at other
coast cities.
Now both lines have in large meas
ure discontinued this fat switching
charge, and on the surface 1t would ap-
pear that they have yielded to the
5obbers' association. This, however
is not the case. Instead q new and in
nocent switching fee Of so cents ton
has been put in force The real es-
sence Of the change may be under
stood when it is explained that under
the new order Of things the tax amounts
10 about $40 a car. Under the guise
Of yielding to the protest OF the ship
pers, it is charged that the two COM
panies have increased their toll some
S8 q car.
TARIFF UPON EMPTIES
Another device recently adopted is
a tariff upOm what are known as
'tempties" For years past it has been
the custom Of the Southern Pacific and
Santa Fe TO return empty boxes free
Of charge to shippers who sent their
produce over their lines. For instance
when butter shipper of Stanislaus
county or an egg shipper Of Sonoma
county or a fruit shipper Of Santa Clara
county sent his produce over the South
ern Pacific TO San Francisco the empty
box was returned to him without cost
Now. however, a fee is exacted on the
amounts TO hundreds OF thousands Of
dollars a year, and means an additional
impost upon the agricultural products
OF the state.
EXCESS CHARGES ALLEGED
These are only two examples OF a
number OF excess charges which the
Southern Pacific and Santa Fe are ac-
cused OF having put into effect within
the last month or so. Complaint has
already been made against the loading
and unloading fees.
The California traffic association will
also hle a complaint with the interstate
commerce commission charging that the
rate Of $3.50 per 100 pounds on vege-
tables from Los Angeles and San Fran
cisco to New York is excessive It will
also be charged that the two California
cities are Disseminated against in IA
vor Of Seattle on icing charges. Sc
attle shippers pay only $50 car for
this service, while the California ship
pers are required to pay SIS a car.
All these matters taken together are
regarded by the local shippers as part
Of the policy Of the railroads 10 in
crease freight rates in California in
an indirect manner, while outwardly
maintaining the existing schedules.