Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1879-01-31
THE RAILROAD QUESTION.

Concerning the great question which Is now
sgitating the minds of our people all over
the State, the ReveiUe of Tuesday says:
All the papers in the State Except the En-
terrsTse) are outspoken in recommending the
Nevada Legislature to enact law regulating
freights and fares on railroads operated in
the State. And although the big paper in
genously attempts to confuse the Legislature
in performing right and duty, we trust that
bill will mark out line of prices and regu-
Iations that will be equally just between the
people and the railroad companies. All admit
that railroads are necessity, but none &C
knowledge submission to injustice being prac
ticed. Pass Just bill, and if the Central
Pacific Company see fit to take advantage of
the situation by doubling up over the road
from the Nevada State line to San Francisco
in order to make up for the reduction through
Nevada, our only hope in that event would
be Congress, provided the California Legisla-
ture refused to pass similar law to Nevada.
The refusal of that company to deliver East
ern freights at destination points is one of
the worst features in its business transactions.
Had it dealt honcraby with its patrons IN
Nevada, there would have been no need for
| legislation on the subject at this time.
THE ENTERPRISE" SHARPLY CRITICISED.
The Eureka Leader of Tuesday, referring
to the amazing criticisms made upon the Gas
ton bill by the Enterprise, says
We are at loss to conceive by what pro-
cess of reasoning the above conclusions are
reached. In the first place, the provisions Of
the bill could only apply to rates between the
boundaries of this State, and could IA no
manner affect the rates charged between San
| Francisco and New York, except while al
transit through the State of Nevada. more
over, the Central Pacific, extending only from
! Ogden to San Francisco in no manner regu-
lates or controls the rates charged by otner
! lines with ghie}S 1t connects; hence We are
unable to soe the force OF tins objection.
But If as is claimed by the Enterprise, the
nroyssons of this bill would extend e1ta
territorialy, and that the courts m,;HSsttt con-
strue the language of these Sections as open
| to such Interpretation, aramendment of three
words at the end OF each section would re-
move all doubts upon the subjective.
within TINS Sate;' and it would seem at
| this tine, when the people of the State are
80 anxious to be relieved from the excessive
exactons of the Central Pacific corporation,
that it would be in better taste to suggest
some improvements upon the honest efforts of
our representatives in that direction than to
tear down and annihiate what they are in
good faith striving to accomplish.
But, says the Enterprise, six cents per mile |
for ton of freight exceeds the widest dreams
of fancy ever indulged In by the relnorseless
managers of that corporation. Here again
the Enterprise is at sea upon a question of
fact, or else the railroad in question deals |
more leniently with the people of Storey |
County than they do with most of the people
of Eastern Nevada For example, the lowest |
rates of freight charged by the Central Pacific |
Railroad between San Francisco and Paiisade |
= 81 80 per cwt., or SOL per ton. To this |
rate There may be a few trittn. exceptions, |
such rs stone coal ne: and feed: bat the |
exceptions are simply insignificant when COIN
pared 10 the great bulk of freight received. |
Now. the distance frum Palisade to San Fran |
cisco is 0S4 miles. making the rate 4 little |
over 81 cents per ton per mile, aud this upon
the lowest class of fre!gnts, except those
above mentioned, and to this must be added
d large class of freights which double The
above figures, being landed at Palisade at the
rate of 50 % per cwt, or seventeen cents
per ton per mile. From the above figures it
will be seen that the provisions of the CASTOR
bill will considerably benefit our people in
reducing the freights to six cents per ton per
mile, and at the same time reduce the passen-
ger rates from S:}8 80, between Paisade and !
San Francisco, now charged, to 500 90
But it is again objected that section five of
this bill is clear unconstitutional, and there
fore the whole bill is nudity. We are not
constitutional lawyer, but we are unwilling
to adopt this view of the matter. We con
cede that this section smacks a little of extra
territorial legislation, but are inclined to the
opinion that the only effect of an ad publication
declaring it to be unconstitutional would be
to annul that section and leave the remain
der of the law not open to this objection I'M
affected thereby Upon the whole we con
slider the Castor bill decided improvement
upon no bill, and are anxious to see it en-
acted into law, unless the editor of the
Enterprise or somebody else will prepare a
better one, ia which we will heartily
Cooperate III striving to secure its passage.
We reproduce these editorial comments of
our contemporaries to show that our astonish
lnent over the course and criticisms of the
Ente,priSc is shared by our contemporaries
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