Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-09-27
narration Of Ocean Competition
inscribed in Railroad Hear
ing This Morning.
EXPERT ON WITNESS STAND.
IL Spence Tells Of 0isadVan-
taue Under Which Southern
Pacific Does Business.
u.,o,hetiral Discussions Form Great
pr, Of Examlnation--A sumner"
For the Railroads.

sne light upon the influence OF The
actor known as water competition
vas thrown upon the rate situation a,
hs hearing OF the case of the SAT-
lake Commercial club traffic bureau
AGAINST the railroads. which was re-
,gmed before Commissioners +. L
ozark. OF the interstate commerce COM
rissIon this morning, by the testimony
al. J. Spence. general freight agent
Of the steamship lines OF the Southern
p,a6c Railroad company's line from
New York 20 San francisco on the At
,snuc coast. This line is composed OF
aeamship transportation from New
YORK TO Galveston. Texas, by what is
Known as the Morgan line, and from
ealyeston 10 San Francisco and inter
mediate points by the Southern Pa
M road through the southern portion
Of the country
II developed in Mr. Spence's testl-
mony that water competition Is COM
posed OF rates made on commodities
rom New York to san Francisco and
vice versa by purely steamship lines,
which may 20 into the market with
out restraint by the inter state conf
meroe commission and make whatever
rates they wish in order to get freight
10 haul between these points: whereas
The southern Pacific line, by rail and
water, is under the jurisdiction OF the
commission and must announce any
new rate promulgated by IL 80 days IN
advance Of the date upon which the
rate shall take effect Competition Is
IN effect on purely water route by way
Of tie straits Of Magellan. by way OF
the lsthmus Of Panama. and by way
Of Tshuanfepec route. the latter being
tie shortest OF ell the routes named
u ne all-Water routes. and FOR that
reason the rate making power in as-
water business.
Z should the Tehuantcpec route re-
auire some few thousand tons to ct
up ship for any OF it's trips" said
Mr. Spence. "its agents 20 out into the
market and make any rate they deem
necessary 70 secure the business. and
this condition the Southern Pacific
Route known as the Sunset Route
Is obliged 10 meet in securing bust
ness
Mr. Spence said that no agreement
existed between the water carriers as
10 rates, etc, and the companies pub
hshed their tariffs Irrespective Of the
action o. any other carrying company.
he admitted that the Sunset route had
increased it3 rates at the beginning
OF the prcsen year for transcOntinental
uahic, IN the face Of the competition
which he described. from the necessity
arlslng from increased cost OF operation
VI me steamship and the rail portions
or ule haul. and also in the face Of a
decreasing tonnage. He cOntended.
however that the Southern Pacific had
oeen reasonably successful In its COM
letilon with the other lines. presum-
aolF by reason OF the shorter dis
MN-e required TO be covered 20 make
te Nansconiluenial trip by this route,
W, distance being only 400 miles.
aeNse harilne, chairman Of the rail-
,uau commission Of Nevada. which
poef is conducting the Reno rate case
against me railroads. conducted the sg-
ANIMATION Of Mr. spence with the nm
r'standlne that the testimony should
1.ed in the Reno case. as well as In
". sdli Lake case The method OF
ussuoning was Of protracted nature
~ t zeal or preliminary ground be
~ ,Ntlca before the real point az is
~ was aiTiver at At times the ques-
,t tecame quite acrid. the exam
WIN difficulty restraining a show
I'enng In The premises.
CONDITIONS YEARS AGO.
a. cong back to the conditions Of wa
80 l.aiHc ~ years AGO AR. Spence
s,,s. u'at inc chief competitor OF the
sI,... ionte was the line Of clipper
49,. "llch We're sailing vessels. and
1870 Ifom four 10 FIVE months 10
III 'Ae trip between san Francisco
fs,i.-pN loFh. There were other COM
.uIs by Way OF the isthmus OF
's.ia' ana other routes had boen
.iahel since. but tho old sailing
,,ls have been practically done
WIN The time bv steamers hs-
e.-h uo Pacific and the Atlantic. AR.
NV sail' rs now Is DAYS. Tho steam.
NJ "liltrs haul every commodity
s"3e"' no witness said. except explo-
a. me witness said that during
is- ~, SIX months OF the present wear
"a tons or freight had been car
.e.el me water carriers of the Pa
ua, Mnlch 6All6 tons WIS routed by
ss W ihe straits Of Magellan. "a.
h s,s 'i'a ny way OF the isthmus. and
le,...loy the Sunset route. The distance
bv .n eln Francisco and New York
ml.s OF Magellan Is about rs. 900
mill. ""f Ni landmn about OO0O
ro,,. go by way Of the Tehaunteuec
on 800 miles. Mr. Spence was stin
recess ~, Nl''less stand when the noon
o. w. LUCE or STAND.
,,o @h,n the hearing convened this
sser, ~ W Luce. general freight
~ or The southern Pacific railroad
A., tne hrst witness called Jude
rlss'n',' chairman OF the railroad com
tsl.vn or Nevada, conducted his er-
y 1 '.l, az his testimony win also
~. ~. IN me case OF the Reno shin
~. which is 10 come before the CON-
h. on lh few weeks.
ire 10 Questions By Judge Bar-
M al, ML Luce testified In regard A.
a. ts',h@se originating al the Atiantir
ssId 80 10 California points. M. lance
las. "a, the entire water route ton.
tino,nt. F.iea az California points
On r,n,l 10 s2G,lt0 tons. while that
ton ,ean delivery AMOUNTED 20s M
tr... tneee figures dld not irelpse ~
l,ou,. u tho santa ~ or the Salt LeHe
va me examination OF Mr. Isiee IL
a. cts,,.,.lopel that the men who bullt
ga NJ ana Union Pacific rallroqds
pai.. WIN full knoWledao ~ ~.
and frs,.t,' pe,luen In both passenger