Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-10
b, "to prevent competition at all points
where transportation by rail and water
"meet."

u w PiSNcHb competition dt Gil PoihtS |
where transportation by rail and water
"meet."
1t is further to be remembered that the |
Investigations of the Railroad Commits
sioner have led him to conclusions which |
in every case traverse the commonly ac- |
eepted legends in regard to transportation.
The attempt to unearth fragrant abuses in
railroad management, for example, has re-
suited IN no revelations. Notwithstanding
the incorporate talk of demagogues dur
ing the last political campaign, it has been
found that very few complaints were made
against the railroads by any of their Gus
toners, while whenever a substantial cause
of dissatisfaction was discovered, the cor
porations exhibited the utmost willingness
to rectify mistakes. Again, the Commits
sioner directs attention to the fact that
in every instance the rates of fares and
freight charged are much below the
amounts allowed by law, and that the
tendency is constantly towards reduc-
tions at the earliest possible moment
Thus, while the California railroads are
empowered by law to charge Is cents a
ton for freight and 10 cents mile for pas
sengers, in fact the average charge for
freight is but 2.67 cents per ton per mile,
while the average charge for passengers is
about 3 cents per mile. The minimum
freight charge, moreover, is very much
lower than the average. 1t is less than
half cent per ton per mile, sand at this
extremely low rate very considerable and
constantly increasing percentage of all the
traffic is done. A comparison between
rates of freight and fares in this and other
are making more moderate charges pro-
portionately than any other corporations in
the country, for while the local rates are in
almost every instance actually lower than
Eastern rates, the cost of operation, includ-
ing the wages of employees, is considerably
higher here than beyond the Rocky Noun
tains. 1t is the opinion of the Commits
sioner that competition, based upon
6 transportation by water, constitutes
g controlling factor in regulating railroad
crates in freight, and it should be given
&c free scope" Here again, however, the
Constitution bars the way The conclu-
sions of the report indeed point to the
adoption of State policy which that
fatuous instrument has rendered almost if
not quite impracticable. For it is laid
down as rule of guidance that the State
should protect and defend the public inter-
ests by keeping open the water ways, and
encouraging competition; and between the
| hydraulic miners and the Constitution it has
become extremely difficult to follow this ad-
vice. The dispassionate student of this
valuable and interesting report will rise
from its perusal with the reflection that it
indicates as the wisest course for the State
to pursue policy already blocked by the
Constitution and that the railroad pro-
gramme of that instrument rests upon as
sumptions every one of which is here
shown to be fallacious, by the only meth
DDS which can ever justify rational
conviction, namely, actual observation
and experiment. After the reckless and
irresponsible rawlings of the political cam
paign come the impartial statements of
the peoples responsible officer, and the
difference between the two is so great that
they might well refer to transactions had
upon different and distant planets. 1t is
needless to say which affords the most
trustworthy basis for legislation, for while
the first is mere froth and fantasy, the
latter is the sober and solid result of pa:
tient and prolonged investigation.