The San Francisco call., 1909-10-14

other seaport cities may receive the full
benefits accruing to such location an
amendment to the interstate commerce
act should be adopted, making 1T un-
lawful for railroad companies to own
control or to be interested In, either di-
tractual relations or agreements with
competing steamship or Steamboat OF
other lines of vessels. Such ownership
or control is today exercised over most
of the steamships operating on the
great lakes and along the Atlantic
beyond our own immediate horizon to
find examples of like nature in our
ocean and river transportation.
1T issobvious that the purpose ant
effect of railroad ownership and con-
troll OF competing water routes is tc
maintain water rates far above the nat
ural level, or those which would obtain
If competition on the water were per-
mitted tosexist. The question of profit
TO be made by such water lines is to
them of secondary consideration, the
primary consideration being to pro-
tect the rates of a parallel rail route.
Independent Steamships
The necessity of an independent
steamship service from coast to coast
upon the completion OF the Panama
canal is thus set forth:
s.Cor
other Pacific coast seaports, is expect
ing great benefits from the completion
of the Panama canal, chief among
which is expeditions and regular steam
ship service between San Francisco ant
the Atlantic seaboard at true sea leve
rates. which will not only have the
effect of reducing the cost of distribu
tion to the California producer, bu
will at the same time lower the cos
of many of the articles which he con
sumes, thus, in the last analysis, mate
rally increasing his purchasing power
VIII such benefits oe realized II The
railway interests are permitted TO oper
ate steamships between say New Yorl
and San Francisco occupying the fielC
to the exclusion of independent owners
and maintaining artif1cially high rate.
for the. protection of the transconti
mental railroads?'
The Export Trade
Passing to a discussion of the ex-
port trade, Wheeler says:
Profitable export trade can be built
up only on profitable home market
Likewise the free and untrammeled
development of coastwise traffic to the
fulness of it's possibilities should be
the first step, in line with the estab-
lfshment of a foreign going American
merchant marine
Wheeler repeats, in conclusion, his
previous declaration that any mail
excluding such steamship companies
that have preferential arrangements
with connecting railroads.
In submitting his report Chairman
r. p. Rithet of the governing commit
tee of the bureau urges that the mem
bership be enlarged as rapidly as pos
sible from 164, its present strength. to
at least 200. He pleads for prompt
action to maintain San Francisco's po-
sition as a distributing center.
Seth Mann, the attorney of the bu-
(reau. who has just returned from the
intermountain and northwestern re-
gion, where he attended the rate hear
ings, spoke to the members upon the
necessity of cooperation to defend
themselves. In the communities he
visited sentiment is solidly with the
commercial bodies.
The bureau elected the following Of
ficers for the year: Chairman, r. P.
Rithet; vice chairman, A. L. Scott
treasurer, E. r. Lilienthal; mana ger,
William r. Wheeler; attorney. Seth
Mann; financial secretary, T. C.
Friedlander; executive secretary, Paul
Dillingham;.