| Show FREIGHT MEN IN SESSION oie of the greatest meetings in railroad history the trade of he orient and the traffic rates by steamship and railroad lines is the subject of discussion A meeting the results 0 which will do much lor the termini of the roads running into ogden is now in session at san francisco and 0 it the san francisco call has the following WHAT THE conference MEANS the rate on asiatic transportation of dry goods raw material machinery and manufactured articles Is now fixed by the rate from inland points eastward to the atlantic seaboard and is affected by the deepwater deep water rate through the suez canal of course but a small percentage of the carriage is by rail and the distribution points are fixed on the atlantic seaboard when the same commerce is started westward from its inland points of origin nearly 50 per cent of the carriage is by rail and different conditions are at once presented the purpose of the trans roads Is to stand as a unit in fixing such a rate as will start the transportation of commerce going to asia at once westward from its inland origin and start all return commerce at once eastward from its asiatic origin ot course the same principle applies to the trade of new zealand australia japan the philippines and the straits settlements it is believed that by standing as a unit the trans continental roads can send and return a large share of this trade by the ports of this coast and distribute it from here instead of from the atlantic coast the issue Is a great one it Is simply whether this transportation shall go two thirds the circumference of the globe by water or one third by water and the rest by rail it the rail wins the cotton fabrics and the raw cotton machinery material for asiatic railway construction and all the commerce generated in our exchanges with asia will finally be handled both ways on this coast it will be seen readily that this Is a conflict between the eastern and tha transcontinental trans continental lines the former now get a short haul both ways in this trade the latter are reaching tor a long haul both ways giving the eastern roads their share in the local distribution trib ution it is estimated that the success of the trans continental roads in this scheme will make necessary a large addition to their equipment and to their operating force all of which is 0 interest to this coast representatives of the various steamship and railroad companies that participate in the oriental trade are holding a meeting in the wells fargo building to determine upon rates that will give them a fair division of tho traffic and at the same time enable them to co tapete successfully with the suez canal the meeting was called some months ago by collis P huntington president ot the southern pacific it was fully H before the representatives of the various transportation corporations got together and they talked for two without accomplishing much beyond the election of third vice president J C of the southern pacific as chairman of the conference there seemed to be some al the outset as to the reason for the conference but it was generally understood der stood to mean a readjustment of the trans pacific and transcontinental trans continental traffic the only action taken was the appointment of a committee composed of representatives of the various transpacific steamship companies to talk over the proposition and to formulate definite conclusions as to what is needed the committee was instructed to report progress this morning the committee members aro D E brown hong kong manager of the northern pacific company general manager R P of the pacific mall company who also represents the occidental and oriental and toyo aisen kalaba lines general agent dodwell of the northern pacific line J S van buren manager of the toyo aisen kaashif lines at hong kong alexander center of the occidental oriental line A S achara hong kong representative senta tive of the nippon calsha C S hong kong agent of the dodwell line J S van buren of hong kong and stoddard of the dental oriental company the principal matter that the conference has to consider Is toe inward bound traffic to overland horats in the united states during the past ten years the development 0 the oriental trade has been so rapid that steamship lines have multiplied very rapidly there are now eight competing lines and the tonnage has increased to buch a degree that freight rates are greatly reduced to many points it is now sought to divide the business so that all of the trans amerlean roads that connect with trans steamship lines may make a profit instead at cutting each others throats as they claim they are doing now the whole scheme Is to beat the suez canal competition the railroads and steamship lines represented in the present conference are canadian pacific railway company in connection with the canadian pacific steamship company great northern railway in connection with the nippon calsha from seattle oregon railroad navigation company in connection with the northern pacific steamship company from portland santa ape railroad company in connection with the california oriental steamship company from this port and san diego and the southern pacific company in connection with the pacific mall occidental oriental and toyo alsen daisha companies the other trans continental roads represented in the conference are the kock island union pacific chicago northwestern rio grande mottern WOT tern and denver rio grande the number of important officials attending the conference seems to be a surprise to even the local railroad people and it Is freely predicted that the results will bo important the proposition is a new one but it Is generally understood and generally appreciated san francisco slay 3 george T klank auditor of disbursements of tha southern pacific coto pany has been promoted to the position of general auditor of the company the change Is consequent upon the resignation of secretary and assistant controller E C wright who retired from the southern pacific to become treasurer of the pacific improvement company |
