Weekly Trinity journal., 1874-01-10
FROM THE CAPITAL.
SPECIAL TO THE TRINITY JOURNAL"
SACRAMENTO. Jan. 7, 1874

SACRAMENTO, Jan. I, 1914
The real sensation Of the week here has
been the publication of the report of the
committee of the Chamber of Commerce
Of San Francisco, accompanied by the
letter of Governor Stanford, and certain
bills to regulate freights and fares, and
the adoption thereof by the Chamber.
This whole subject may be condensed as
follows, as concluded by that body: ut
is dangerous to the people and State to
regulate freights and fares on lines of
transportation by arbitrary laws" "Car-
riers must be allowed profit sufficient to
pay all repairs and operating expenses,
all interest on debts, and to eventually
discharge the principal and reapa reason
able profit on the investment" "The
present rates are to remain" "No en-
act law is to be passed." "a board of
commissioners is TO be appointed who
have power to locate, on petition and
hearing, depots and side tracks, prose-
cute for extortion and discrimination, pre-
vent the raising Of rates, and their une-
quail reduction, and to generally super
wise the business Of common carriers in
cOrporated as companies" They are
to have power also to gather needed in
formation and statistics, and report the
same to the next Legislature" Dis
crimination and extortion is made a
crime. pa~,es are forbidden, and penalty
is attached .or disobeying the commits
-ioncrs' orders and decrees." Governor
Stanloid's letter is a clear exposition Of
railroading; why through goods come
cheaper than way goods why freights
cost more in one section of road than
another; and why the G. P. r. r. has
not full control Of the freight business.
The report is the deliberate result Of the
investigation Of a body of men who are
interested, and who represent the chief
commercial interests Of the State. This
report has taken
THE WIND OUT OF THE SAILS
OF the Dolly Vardens. The best evil
dence OF this is, the rage Of the Sacra-
mento Union, for it is raging about it.
Nothing but an absolutely arbitrary law
will satisfy it. 1t declares that railroad
ing i system easy of adjustment. The
Chamber says it is the most hazardous
and intricate of businesses, eding years
Of experience and invovinga vastamount
OF technical commercial and engineering
science. The Union asserts their report
is made in the interests of the railroads,
wants to kill the goose that lays the gold
en- egg. | have seen many members Of
the Legislature, and I prophesy the
Chamber Of Commerce bill will pass with
a few amendments, despite the dictatorial
Union. The Legislature assembled on
Monday and the spirit Of that body was
shown at the outset.
A CASE OF PREJUDICE.
In the Assembly, Bowers called up his
bill to grant the Texas Pacific Railroad
the right Of way over certain tide lands
at San Diego. 1t was killed simply and
solely because the word railroad appeared
in the bill. The situation is very simple
let me state it: Tom Scott agreed to
terminate his road at San Diego, and to
enter and locate where the citizens dosr-
ed. The citizens determined the road
should come in along the tide lands over
a trestle Of piling and locate on the water
front. These tide lands had been sold by
the State and the money paid. The city
spent $4,000 in buying private rights,
and the grade proceeded. Subsequently
the Supreme Court decided that the State
had conveyed no title under her sales.
The Pueblo of San Diego coveres this
tract and the city claims her municipal
right. 1t now became necessary to ask
the State for the right Of way over the
lands as she had quasi title left. Under
stand, the people, and not the railroad,
desired this. The bill was killed after
the longest debate which has yet taken
place, and why? because the word rail
road was in it. Bowers told the mem
bers openly that Assemblymen had de-
clared they would vote for the bill if he
would cover the word railroad. 1t was
not question Of right, not a desire to do
The will of the people, but a cowardly
bringing to an unreasonable prejudice.
The result is that these anti-railroad leg
lslators have really voted the Texas Pa
ciiic Railroad rousing subsidy, and this is
HOW 1T Is:
The Company has never desired to run
upon the tide land for the obvious reason
that it would cost an enormous sum to
erect the trestle work. 1t has, on the
contrary, desired to enter San Diego back
Of the town along the gravel ridge, where
now the citizens by the terms of their
bond are bound to purchase land for the
road. This they can do only at an out
lay of over 100000 in excess of what it
would cost them to compel the road to
cross the water. Thus the Dollys have
overshot the mark and absolutely played
into the hands of Tom Scott. This is a
fair sample Of the temper and reason of
the legislative majority in the House.
VAsQUEZ-BILLs.
A bill will pass the Senate and Assem-
bly, to day approprialing $4,000 to slim
ulate some one to capture the Vasquez
band OF brgands. This is right. Vas
quez's men, week before last, entered the
town OF Kingston, Tulare county, bound
SO citizens and plundered the village.