The San Francisco call., 1910-12-30
Western Pacific Will Make
Through Rate From Chicago
and Missouri River Points
M0ST BUSINESS WILL BE
RECLAIMED BY THIS CITY
Reduction of Tariff on Outward
Bound Shipments viii Re-
vive Traffic
MERCHANTS GET CHANCE
TO MEET COMPETITION

~ nEEl CUHlPE lUN
'HROUGH transcontinental freight
business between the orient and
the port Of San Francisco is to be
restored shortly after january 1, when
the agreement between the Western
Pacific railway ana the Toyo Kisen
Kaisha (Oriental steamship company
goes into effect.
san Francisco viii regain the busi-
ness It lost through the stubbornness
OF the freight of1cials OF the Southern
Pacific and the Santa Fe. and the com
petition between san Francisco and
Puget sound ports for this business is
bound 10 become unusually keen.
Announcement was made yesterday
by Freight Traffic Manager H N
Adams Of the Western Pacific that that
company would publish within the next
few weeks through rates between Chi
cago and Missouri river points and the
orient and that the tariff would abide
by the ruling Of the interstate com
merce commission ana show the pro-
portion Of the rate received by the rail-
road.
More Trade at Lower Rates
The announcement not only comes as
a surprise but is certain to gladden. the
hearts Of the merchants who have be-
walled the loss Of much of the business
OF this port
Since the interstate commerce com
mission ruled that the railroads must
publish their proportion of the through
rate between Chicago and Missouri
river points and the orient on all
freight shipped through San Francisco.
and since the railroads declined to pub
lish their proportions. san Francisco
has lost the largest part of its out
bound oriental business.
Puget sound ports have gained this
business because the Canadian Pacific
and Chicago. Milwaukee and st. Paul
railways would not stand in with the
Southern Pacific and Santa Fe. This
decision Of the Western Pacific and the
Toyo Kisen Kaisha means material
reduction in the cost Of outbound orien-
tai shipments through this port.
Present Charges Are High
At the present time the rates through
san Francisco, outward bound. are the
established domestic rates to this city,
plus the steamship company's rates
from this city to destination. The rail
road receives just as much for the haul
from Chicago, St. Louis and west to
san Francisco as it formerly received
for the through haul from those points
to the orient. when the steamship
companies took what they could get
out Of it,
Only a few years ago the transconti-
mental railroads made the same rate on
paper, beer and other commodities from
points in the United States to Yoko-
hama as it made from the same points
to San Francisco. The eastern mer-
chant could ship TO Japan as cheaply as
he could ship TO San Francisco, not
withstanJing the fact that the steam
ship company hauled the merchandise
several thousand miles.
For Competition Via Suez
The result Of the Western Pacific
agreement which viii become effective
when the Togo Kisen Kaisha and the
Pacific Mail companies sever their
present relations, viii be to bring
nearly all Of this outbound oriental
business back to San Francisco. These
rates. Adams explained yesterday, were
necessary TO meet the competition of
the suez route. although the rates via
the Suez route are not at all stable.
The business that was taken away
from this port by Puget sound will be
reEained TO a large extent
Just what the rates win be has not
been determined Tentative schedules
have been prepared. which undoubtedly
VIII be adopted and make the rates
from Chicago. ST. Louis and points
west thereof to oriental ports via san
Francisco the same as those now pre-
vailing from those points to the orient
via Puget sound.
Since the order Of the Interstate
commission the railroads, with the ex-
ception Of the Canadian Pacific and the
Chicago. Milwaukee and ST. Paul, have
published only the inland portion of the
rates. The rates over sea have been
separate and the roads have been re-
cefvine as much for the inland haul as
the railroad and steamship companv
formerly received for the entire haul
TIE percentage received by the
aship companies since the roads
ed TO publish through tariffs has
tn exceedingly small. Even when
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