The San Francisco call., 1909-02-12
BRADLEY RESIGNS;
BOARDS MAY MERGE
California Traffic Association
Manager Accepts Sacramento
Businessmen's Offer
Consolidation With Merchants
Exchange Bureau MOoted
by Trafficmen


G. j. Bradley, manager of the Cali
fornia traffic association, rendered his
resignation yesterday and will accept a
position as traffic manager for the buSi-
nessmen of Sacramento. Bradley will
give up his post on March /. He was
offered special inducements by the local
association to remain, but he has re-
ceived a liberal offer from the COM
mercial community of Sacramento
which he was not Inclined to forego.
The California traffic association will
not fill the position for the present. In
fact, it is stated on good authority that
the association will await the arrival
of William r. Wheeler, the newly
chosen manager of the traffic bureau of
the Merchants exchange, and at that
time the two bodies may merge There
has been talk for some months of a
consolidation, but the overtures have
never gone beyond the preliminary
stage.
The California traffic association has
an influential membership and has been
known particularly for its indepen-
dence. Its members have been re-
garded as somewhat radical by the
members of the Merchants exchange
bureau. but the recent raise in railroad
rates and the final refusal of the cor
porations TO reconsider their action
have brought the two bodies close to-
gether in their common desire to obtain
more satisfactory transportation facili-
ties. Both concerns are interested in
the movement for a projected inde-
pendent steamship line and this has
served further to unity interests which
were formerly somewhat divergent.
WAIT FOR WHEELER
William r. Wheeler will reach San
| Francisco early in March and will find
much to do when he reaches here. The
Merchants exchange bureau will meet
in few days to consider future action
in view of the official statement given
out by the railroads Wednesday that
| they would maintain the increased rates
on canned goods and dried fruits. Sew
eral members are in favor of an imme-
diate appeal to the interstate commerce
commission, while others desire to
await the arrival of Wheeler before
taking action. Seth Mann, the attorney
for the bureau, has taken no action as
yet, and will await the decision of the
| bureau.
Joseph Durney, one of the most active
members of the bureau, expressed keen
disappointment yesterday at the action
of the railroads. Durney had worked
Zealously to safeguard the interests of
the shippers and had been hopeful up
to the last that some satisfactory ar
! rangement could be made.
CALLS ACTION UNJUST
This action is unjust" said Durney
yesterday. 1T means that we must
take the matter to the interstate COM
merce commission or ship all we can
| by water. I had hoped for far more
satisfactory termination of our nego-
! tiations. In this matter the railroads
1 are hurting themselves. On canned
goods they were charging before the
recent raise rs cents a hundred. Now
they are charging So cents. Their car
| load minimum is 10000 pounds. Now.
! the suggestion was made that we could
reach some understanding if they
would keep the IS cent rate and raise
their minimum to $4,000 pounds. I'm
der this arrangement they would have
allowed the shippers the same rate, but
would have received $35 a car more
for the traffic. At IS cents, a $4,000
pound carload would bring 1915, while
! 10000 pound carload at IS cents will
bring only s340 1t is strange that
they should not have taken this into
account. The extra cost for the $4,000
pounds would have been insignificant.
At the meeting of the traffic bureau
Eof the Merchants exchange to be held
in a few days the entire subject will
be discussed.