The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-02-18
DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST HAWAII
Wells Fargo & Co. Charged With
0verCharging on Express
Rates.
(From Wednesday Advertiser.)


Hawaii is being Disseminated against
by Wells Fargo & Co., according to
figures prepared by the merchants as
sociation. Because of the fact that the
company will not quote through rate
between New York and Honolulu, mer-
chants are being forced to pay sixty
five cents more expressage on every ten
pounds of merchandise than should be
the case otherwise, according to those
who have looked into the matter. The
association will take action at once
and will bring the matter to the atten-
tion of the headquarters office of the
company.
The matter came up for pretty gen.
eral discussion yesterday at the trus-
tees meeting and some interesting fig
ureS were introduced. According to the
present rules of the company express
matter can not be billed from New
York straight through to this city, but
must be consigned to San Francisco and
there rebilled The rate from New
York to San Francisco, on ordinary
merchandise, is $3.50 per ten
pounds. From San Francisco here the
rate is eighty cents per ten pounds.
This makes the total expressage from
New York to Honolulu $3.50. 1t is
estimated that, could the company be
induced to grant through rate, the
cost would be reduced to $1.75 per ten
pounds.
At present many merchants are in
the habit of having their hurry orders
expressed to San francisco and then
forwarded on here by freight. Both
freight and express come on the same
steamer and it makes little or no diff
ference, so far as expedition in receiv-
ing the goods is concerned, but there
is the trouble and worry caused by
the necessity for transshipment.
It is urged that, were the express
company to quote a through rate from
New York to Honolulu, merchants
would far rather bill their goods right
through than trouble with transship-
ment at the Bay City, even though ex
press charges from the Atlantic sea-
board here amounted to a little more
than express charges to San Francisco
plus freight charges to Honolulu. But
the present arrangement makes the
tolls practically prohibitive as far as
consignments of any size are concerned.
1t is urged that the company would
profit by granting Hawaii Il through
rate. in that it would get business
which now is handed over to the steam
ship companies through the transship'
ment by freight.
1t is believed that San Francisco
would strcnuously oppose the granting
of through rae to Hawaii because of
I the fact that at present all goods for
these Islands are receipted for by the
San Francisco Office and the rebilhng
! Is separate bit of business. This is
no small item in the showing of bust
ness made by the Bay City Office, and
I a through rate would mean substan-
.ial slice taken out OF the business of
/ the san Francisco Office and turned oyer
| 10 Honolulu.
However the merchants are determin-
ed 10 get through way rate II there
/ he any way aud they feel fairly con-
hdent that the company will grant IL,
once the state of Affairs Is made clear
/ 60 the officials al headquarters.
/ The question of trading stamps was
brought up aud the association decided
Go take "a determined stand in the mat
ter n 10 urged hni small dealers
nre practically foreed into paying trib
I uie in be- form OF trading stamp puf'
shasrs.
The lriior frnm Delegate kuho, ask
+ IHH flAi tHin ir Furnished him for use
In Ne osmpnlgn in ihe Interest of coast
alhe shipping lHY sHapfnsluni WHH re
ferrd ln a.. a. fun liamm and ihf
/ pnhlrlfY rpnmliiee With authority a.
7 Ha
a.