The San Francisco call., 1909-10-07
Low WATER TARIFF
|. MAY Be PERMANENT
Some Companies Find Increased
Patronage Makes Reduc=
tion Profitable

1t is not unlikely that the present
steamship rate war between here and
Los Angeles will lead to a permanent
reduction in the cost of water trans
portation along the coast. Although
every steamship company will not adj
nit it there are steamshipmen of stand
ing who declare that they are making
money at the present low rates, some
of them, on account of the extra travel,
more money than they ever made be-
fore
The North Pacific steamship company
steamers George w. Elder and Roanoke.
on which the rates hereafter between
here and Los Angeles will be So and sS,
according to class. One OF these steam
ers leaves here every Saturday evening
at o'clock.
Travel to and from Los Angeles is
not only cheap nowadays, but there is
a boat nearly every day. The PACING
Coast steamship company has steamer
from here for the south every Monday,
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. the
st. Croix sails once a week, the Admiral
Sampson once every two weeks, and
also in the fight is a whole feet of
steam schooners, on which the passen-
ger rates have been cut TO IS and $3.50
On the Santa Rosa and City of Topeka
of the Pacific Coast steamship COM
panys fleet the rate has been cut to So
and 81.
The Admiral Sampson, which sailed
yesterday morning for Los Angeles,
carried 165 passengers, the steamers
full capacity. The voyage before,
when the Alaska steamship company
was maintaining the old rate. the
Sampson left here practically empty.
The Santa Rosa, which sailed yester-
day afternoon, carried about 800 pas
sengers and will be back again with
a similar crowd in time to leave here
Saturday afternoon with another full
load.
1t was expected that the education
in rates would attract what in steam
ship parlance is known as the rough
neck" element. This has not proved
to be the case and in outward appear
ance those who yesterday crowded the
rails of the Sampson and Santa Rosa
were no different from the regular
travellers by the water lines
The rate war has not lacked its
humorous side. A few days ago Wis
itor, evidently from the country, ap-
peared at Broadway wharf and inquirSd
for zone of them cheap rate boats.
He fell into the hands of trans
fer agent who led him aboard the big
steamer President. The captains cabin
happened to be open and vacant. Into
this spacious suite, which includes
sitting ROOM bedroom and bathroom,
the man was ushered. His guide hur-
riedly showed him through the apart
ments and then leading him out on
deck said:
You can have that room to Los An
geles for so cents
The almost persuaded traveller pom
dered for a while and walked away
shaking his head
1T looks fairly comfortable" he said,
'and the rate is reasonable, but 1 guess
I'll have a look at some of the other
boats before / close with you"
Railroad officials say that the extra
rush of water travel is making no diff
ference to the stream of travel south
by rail, which at this time of year is
unusually heavy, and that as far as the
railroads are concerned, for the present
at any rate. the steamship companies
may go ahead cutting rates.
One steamship official said yester-
day: I'VE are losing money, but were
forced into this and must stay with IL
to protect our business"
An official of another company said:
This is the best thing for the steam
ship companies that ever happened It
making money. The extra crowding
and the Indifferent service that the
crowding necessarily compels may be
hard on the travelling public, but If
they can stand it we can. If keeping
down the rates will maintain the pres
ent rate of travel l hope the rate war
lasts forever. That is, as long as the
cut stops where 1t is
About 1000 persons a week are TAX
ing advantage OF the cut rates.
New Arrangement Predicted
PORTLAND, Oct. 6.-The North
Pacific steamship company, oper-
ating the steamers Roanoke and George
w. Elder between Portland and San
Francisco and Los Angeles, today an
nounced a cut in passenger rates be-
tween this city and Los Angeles from
s26 to $40 for first class cabin and re-
duced the steerase rates from s17 to
SIS. The Elder, sailing next Thurs
day night, will be the first vessel TO
carry passengers al the reduced rates.
The Portland and San Francisco
steamship company today ceased sell
ing through tickets to Los Angeles
from this city. Hereafter tickets will
be sold to San Francisco and passen-
gers desiring to go to Los Angeles will
be obliged to take the VESSELS of some
other line.