Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-05-12
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settled outside Of certain limited area surround
ing the centers of dh trhution or shipment. and
IL the railroads compelled 70 carry general mer
ehandise at low rates their earnings will
be so eurtailed that it WI be impos
sible for them to afford to carry grain,
wool, hides, wood and other staples at rates
which will permit OF their transportation at all.
At present it is the practice of railroads to extend
the area of profitable production as much as posi-
Die BY carrying low-priccd staples even below the
cost Of movement. Thus in this State the southern
Paci has been accustomed to carry wheat dis
tanee OF lSo miles practically for nothing at all;
smpy becaue il it did not do this the production
OF wheat in The region concerned would have had
to he abandoned. and that would have involved the
desertion Of the country ard the consequent death
OF all way business for the corporation Thus the
selfish business interests Of the carrier oblge him
to conserve the interests of the producer. aud
afford the most effective guarantee to the latter
that his distance from market will not be used 10
cripple him.
The higher the maximum the lower the minimum
will be- is q rule the just comprehension Of which
further exhibits the futility of al attempts TO do
away with classification. or 10 make it arbitrary.
great railroad system is quite as complex as great
government, and quite as impossible of being regu-
lated by cast-iron provisions. Transportation is a
business in which the needs of the time are for
the most part paramount. The currents and chan
nels Of business aud settlement are constantly
changing, and as they change the necessities of the
railroad business become altered To develop new
business, to foster young and growing industries TO
accommodate infant settlements, require new regu-
lat md ,h .ho h-..
fresh relations and Implications all OF which have
to be taken into consideration. IT, therefore, It
were possible to survey the whole field ON a given
day, to grasp the requirements OF the hour, and to
meet every want with special adjustment, the in.
stability OF the situation is such that it would be
necessary to revise the entire settlement the NOR
row. the operation Of unforeseen influences would
wreck the experiment hopelessy.
There has never been any doubt IN the public
mind as to the desirabilityot reducing the minimum
rate Of freights, but there has been confusion of
thought respecting its relations TO the maximum
In fact the two insep rabe In the existing sys-
TEN of transportation, and unless it is proposed to
remodel thatsyst upon some hitherto undiscovered
principle they viii have to be recognized as ncapa-
BILE of elimination radical alteration. And as re-
CARDS the system itself, it must be borne in mind
that whatever its defects may be 1t is at least
the product of natural development from the
surrounding circumstances. The presumption in
favor Of the nationality OF system which has grown
out of the needs of the public and the require
ments of the railroads. is strong. 1t must be ad-
mitted that such system is more likely to suit
the circumstances than evolved from abstract
considerations without regard to the exist
ing facts. IL msy be worth while TO
quote some recent remarks Of Mr.. Charles Francis
Adlms once more this head. lie says: What
"is called the railroad problem seems TO me, row
"more than ever, thing perfectly easy Of solution
"and yet the practical solution Of which is, un
der existing circumstances hardly to be hoped
"for The difficulties in the way are very obvious
"our laws, the political catch words which out
"weigh all argument and an uninformed public
"opinon, do not allow the railroad system to follow
"out quietly its natural course of development,
subject to an intelligent restraint where that de-
"velopmt mt into essential abuses We are
"always pounding away at it, it is true, but gen.
orally after crazy, mistaken fashion, or on some
Z" false or quite immaterial ISSUE The weak points
"of the system are not generally known the pa
"tience necessary to find them out is looked upon
" as figu OF tmidity or treachery and thus every
"atempt at dealing with areally great and intricate
Subject takes soon or late the form of new quack
"cureal legislative pill And he concludes, "what
"Is needed it seems to me- is the continuous pres.
"sure ami the steady building upof Legislation which
"ean only come through the employment of trained
"speciaists-a class politically despised, but Of
which the railroads avail themselves with good re-
." suits to them
We have quoted these sentences 70 show iItw Il
prolonged and conscientious study OF the railroad
question has convinced particularly lucid and
powerful intelligence of the bsolute need OF caution
hesitation and moderate action in this connection
The investigations which we have ourselves made in
preparing to reduce freight rates have entirely
persuaded us of the truth Of this position and the
more desrous such Board as this may be to bene
fit the public, and to secure the greatest
possible advantages from the regulation
of transportation, the it must be-
come assured OF the impraeticability Of
venturng upon any arbitrary or orsweeping measures
With the power conferred upon us by the Constitu-
tion and the Legislature nothing would have been
easier than for US to have met together and without
the railroads to make any representa-.
tious on their own behalf, to have promulgated
some large and general reduction of rates The
effects of such policy however, would unques-
tionably have teen unfortunate. For on the one
hand it cannot be doubted that the corporations
would have resisted such reduction By every legal
resort in their power, and thus have postponed
the application of it indefinitely and on the
other hand it is certain that if such
a tariff had been submitted to it it
woulJ have produced the most unexpected and ca
lamitous results, iniuring those whom it wsi in.
fen IN mi
to enrich, and paralyzng transportation instead of
diminishing the friction Of its working.
We have made reference to the question of
the equities of the railroads, though they demand
the most serious recognition The arbitrary dispo.
sition of the property of others, matter under
what color of legality or mandate of the organic
law, is business which no man trained in respect
for the fundamental principles Of the Constitution
Of the United States undertake with equanimity
or eagerness, or execute without experiencing
the most serious doubts concerning the morality of
the transaction. 1t has been endeavor to
deal with this difficult and delicate subject that the
interests of neither party should suffer in hands
We approached it with a firm determination to
relieve the public if such relief found practice
BILE. Had we entered upon the work in spirit of
hostility to the railroads. and vindctive
to injure them, as some seemed to think
we ought to o, we should in all probability have
nothing beyond engaging the State in
litigation. But by setting before our
selves standard of equity the guide for our con-
luct we have succeed d in obtaining fr m the rail
'oad companies acquiese nee in a scheme OF reduc-
ion which must be productive of great present
benefits the public and which affords mn encour-
,ging earnest of future and perhaps even more I'M
Dortant changes
1t is noteworthy that while popular clamor, un
,uided by intelligence. has, notwithstanding is
orce, failed in the past TO bring about any sub
;antial reduction in freight charges in California
et the railroads themselves have on three different
ccasions voluntarily reduced their tariffs The tx-
'anation Of this is, that The development of the
'tate proceeds, IS. settlement becomes dense,
s business enlarges ii becomes not only possible,
,ut advisable to lower the rates OF transportation.
t is never with the approval of his business
ense that railroad manager mai tains rates which
end at all toward prohibition He is too wall
hat the volume of business under normal con.
litions is the real test of prosperity But
g we have shown in this report the circumstar ces