New-York tribune., 1915-02-14
SOUTHERN PACIFIC
MAY RUN STEAMERS
Commerce Commission
Allows Road to Retain
Pacific Mail Line.

Washington. Feb. 13.-Retention OF
control of the Pacific Mail Steamship
| Company by the Southern Pacific Rail-
road was authorized to-day by the
/ Interstate Commerce Commission in its
/ first decision under the provision of
the Panama Canal act requiring rail-
roads 20 give up competing steamship
/ lines except when joint ownership and
operation was found by the commits
sion to be Of public advantage.
The petition of the railroad SET forth
that il purposed 10 operate the steam
ship company in traffic between San
Francisco and ports in Mexico, Guate-
mala, Salvador, Honduras. Nicaragua
| and Costa Rica, between Mexican and
Central American ports and Europe.
and between Mexican and Central
American ports and the Atlantic and
Gulf ports of the United States. This
traffic, the petition says, will be
handled by the steamship company to
or from Balboa and transshipped in
connection with the vessels of other
| lines in no way connected with the
petitioner"
The commission was told during the
oral argument of the case that the
| Southern Pacific intended TO give up
| its service from San Francisco 10 New
| York through the canal, and from San
! Francisco to Europe via the canal, be-
! cause such service might be considered
| to be in competition with the Southern
! Pacifc's rail and water service via New
/ Orleans.
/ "The Pacific Mail Steamship Com
| pany, operating boats between San
| Francisco and Balbao or Colon" says
/ the commission, may compete FOR
| cosstwise interstate traffic between
| points in the United States; for trafic
/ between points in the United States
and points in Mexico, and for traffic
| between points in the United States
and points in foreign countries with
the Southern Pacific Company's rail
| lines from San Francisco.
"The commission is without power Ia
grant any extension of time as to yes
sci or vessels operating or to operate
between San Francisco and Colon, for
the reason that that service by wate.
would be through the Panama Canal.
! II it shall be made to appear that GER
| tain specified vessel or vessels will
I operate no further than Balboa, the
! commission could, as to such vessel OF
vessels, grant an extension of time.
From the record it appears that the
service proposed, other than that
tn, ough the Panama Canal, would be
in the interest of the public and OF
advantage to the convenience and com
melce of the people, and tha. its con
tinuance would neither exclude. pre-
vent Tor reduce competition on the
route bv water under consi1eci ton"
San Francisco. Feb. 13.-As under
stood at the Offices of the Southern
Pacific Company here, the interpreta-
! tion of the Panama Canal act by the
/ Interstate Commerce Commission per-
mits vessels of the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company to operate through the
canal between Mazatlan, Mexico, and
points on the Atlantic seaboard,
In its petition the company laid
stress on this point because it hao
terminal connections by rail with Ma,
,stlan. and plans held in allegiance
until the return of peace and stability
IN Mexico contemplated important de
velopment Of the company's Mexican
system.
Steamship Company, which is owned By
the Southern Pacific Company, it wa'
explained that two Pacific Mail lines
lulu, Yokohama and Manila TO Hons
Kong and Shanghai. The other Is be
tween San Francisco and ports Of
Western Mexico and the west coast Of
Central America.
Before the passage Of the Panama
Canal act, which the company has neveI
contested, it was planned to inaugural,
a service from San Francisco TO New
York. Contracts for new vessels 20 bf
placed on that run had to be aban
doned. The Pacific Mail never has
operated vessels through the canal