The San Francisco call., 1910-01-14

The CaTiners' league OF California will
MA &c war on the railroads. with view
fo getting back the rates which were
In effect before the arbitrary raise a
year ago. II the railroad commission
viii not act then other steps viii
be taken 10 bring the matter before the
Interstate commerce commission. Res
oiuuons to this effect were unanimous
Iy adopted at the annual meeting in
The Merchants Exchange building yes
rerday.
After an extended discussion com
mittee consisting of Andrew Griffin, C
II. Bentley. }. H. Hunt Elmer Chase,
Isidor Jacobs. l. n Brinker Major c.
T. Tilden, Percy l. King and r NJ.
Barthold was named to draft scheme
of Organization along more effect
i've lines. with view to prosecuting
the night for better freight rates.
TAFT'S MESSAGE APPROVED
A motion by Jacobs directing the ex-
ecutiEe committee TO communicated
with the California congressman ap-
proving that part of the presidents
MESA &c which dealt with transpOrta-
t.on matters was adopted.
That the Pacific Mail steamship COM
panv did not enter into competition
with the railroads. and that the rail
road commission had not brought that
matter or the raise in railroad rates
before the interstate commerce com
mission We're grievances aired by Ja-
cobs and others.
Amy general attack on the whole
system Of rates, whether east or west
bound. would be suicidal TO the inter
ests of the state" said Seth Mann.
Unless you can make your case ex-
ceptional IL would be useless, in my
opinion, TO make the attempt with the
interstate commerce commission
WOULD DEMAND REFUND
j. o. Brscken thought that the mem
hers of the league, with annual ship
nents amounting To about 10000 cars.
could secure refund by prosecuting
the claim against the railroads He
said that FOR many years the rate was
, cents. but in. January, 1909. it was
~ ised 10 s. cepts, and the minimum
carload was raised 10 10000 pounds.
Bracken did not believe the advance
could be successfully defended He
added that the Interstate commerce
commission had laid down the rule that
the voluntary establishing of rates and
the voluntary maintaining Of the same
for 4 number Of years was evidence in
itself that these rates were reasonable
ADDRESS BY WHEELER
william r. Wheeler, manager of the
traffic bureau Of the Merchants ex-
change. discussed The Importance of
our NaVigable Waters as an Adjunct
TO Freight Rate Regulation" He spoke
in part as follows:
The Atlantic and Pacific oceans
provide a highway for the trans
portation Of freight between the
two sea boards, the potentialities Of
which must be considered by the
railroads when establishing tariffs
between these seaboards-
Consequently. New York is found
10 be commercially nearer to San
Francisco than is Chicago, or even
ST. Louis or Omaha when assumed
rail rates reasOnab bic in and of
themselves between San Francisco
and the middle west cities are COM
pared with sea rates in existence
between san Francisco and New
York Therefore il is plain that
commercial contiguity is created
By facilities for cheap transporta-
tion rather than by a lessened num-
Der Of statute miles.
Railroads operating in competi-
tion with water lines very natur-
ally seek TO control the latters
activities and do not hesitate, il
necessary. to establish lines Of
their own in order to occupy the
field and thus prevent forceful
competition.
RAILROADS OWN STEAMSHIPS
4 casual Investigation develops
the fact that practics lly all of the
important water routes of the
United States, coastwise. river and
lake. are owned. controlled or DOM
mated by competing railroads
j Is a matter OF history that for
many years the transconfinentai
railways paid the Pacific Mail
steamship company a subsidy OF
$4,000 per annum for the privi-
lege Of controlling the latter's
rates between New York and San
Francisco via Panama. Today the
control of the activities. or rather
the inactfvities. OF this route is
ACCOMPLISHED by the ownership by
the Southern Pacific company of a
Few sha res more than so per cent
Of the capital stock Of the Pacific
Mail steamship company.