The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-24
SWITCHING FEE
CHARGED ONLY
IN CALIFORNIA
Santa Fe Traffic Manager Says
Practice Is Not Followed
Anywhere Else
Would Cost Shippers $500, O0O,-
900 a Year if Legalized on
All Railroads
Ia TranscOntinentaI Rate Di-
vision Hartman Lines Get
Most of Revenue

1
Edward Chambers. assistant freight
traffic manager OF the Santa Fe. was
the chief witness yesterday in the hear
ing before Commissioners Lane on the
$3.50 switching charge. Chambers was
called in rebuttaI by Attorney Camp OF
the Santa Fe, but his testimony proved
to be the strongest yet presented to
sustain the cause OF the shippers. Tn
der cross examina ton by Seth Mann.
attorney for the Pacific Coast jobbers'
and manufacturers association. Cham
bers admitted that the switching fee
gave other points. such as Stockton. an
advantage over San Francisco. He said
also that. if charged in San Francisco.
he believed the switching fee should
be placed in effect at all terminals
QUESTIONED By LANE
Lane took hand in questioning
Chambers and endeavored to learn why
it was that San Francisco and Los An
geles had been selected for this special
charge while all other big cities were
| exempt.
Our position is that It is an extra
service" replied Chambers.
Then why don't you impose the
charge everywhere" persisted the
commissioner
I'VE found 1t was the practice here
when our road entered San Francisco.
1t is not charged anywhere that
know except in California answered
EChambers.
But why don't you charge it else
where?" inquired Mann
T think" said Chambers. that it
should be charged at all terminals"
Why not at all points?" asked Mann.
The witness did not reply. and Mann
added. What do you think the rail
roads throughout the country would
doe if this charge were IegaIlzed by
the commission
It had been previously estimated
that it would cost the shippers OF the
United States an additional $500, OO0, goo
a year. Chambers smiled by way of
reply.
Incidental to the hearing it became
known yesterday just what the Santa
F'e had expended in filing and building
a seawaIl at China basin j. f. Hay
Sden. the industrial agent of the cor
poratiOn, said that the amount ex-
pended for this purpose had been
$1,zS9,933. In return the company was
\ given a lease for so years upon the
property, comprising some S5 acres.
An annual sum or $1,000 is also col
lected by the state. 1t had been gen
( orally supposed that the China basin
project cost between 100000 AMI
( 100000.
TRANSCONTINENTAL DIVISION
An interesting feature of the days
development, brought out through
Chambers and @. W. Luce general
freight agent of the Southern Pacific.
! concerned the division OF the trans
continental rate among the railroads
participating in the haul. This sub
Jeet came up when reference was
made to the bay transfer" charge OF
cents.
1t appears that the Hartman lines
rare exceedingly we'll in the distribu-
ton of the through rate. Five cents is
exacted for the Omaha bridge and "a
like amount for Pacific coast terminals
On car from New York to the
coast, 20 per cent is first taken out for
the haul to Chicago. Is per cent of the
balance goes to the line making the
haul TO the Missouri river. Then the
sum OF 10 cents is deducted for the
4 bridge and the bay fee. or the bal
ance 81 per cent goes 10 the COMPANY
making the haul TO Ogden. and IS per
cent TO the company carrying the car
( from Ogden to San Francisco
1t appears. therefore that on the
through haul from New York to San
francisco the Hartman companies re-
I ceive 6S.I0 per cent of the transconfi-
mental rate From Pittsburg Harri-
man receives almost 70 per cent of the
/ freight charge.
1t developed through Chambers teS-
timony that the Santa Re and the
Southern Pacific In their Joint opera
ton OF the belt railroad at Point Rich
mond figured the cost of switching to
! themselves at $3.50 q car
Mann showed that It cost the com
panies some $3.50 a car to place frefgnr
on the team tracks IN San F'rancisco
for which no extra charge Is made for
the reason that it Is part OF the through
tariff He argued that the switching
to the industry track should be also
considered part OF the through rate.
OAKLAND FAVORED
In conclusion Mann showed that the
southern Pacific. making the haul from
Ogden to Oakland on a shipment from
Pittsburg, received 30.S2 per cent OF
the through rate. while on shipment
from Pittsburg TO San Francisco II re-
ceived 1882 per cent OF the through
rate. The Southern Pacific received SO
cents q ton more for the haul to san
Francisco and imposes in addition the
switching charge OF $3.50. or about
121s cents a ton, which IS not charged
in Oakland.
Luce was on the stand when the
thearing closed for the day He had
been preceded by Chambers. J. r. HAY
den the Santa Fe Industrial agent:
G. W. Lupton. Santa Fe freight agent.
and A. L. Scott OF the Pacific hardware
and steel company
The hearing will be resumed tomor-
ns~