Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-11


selves at their own proper expense That
is TO say, those companies which built the railroads
with capital donated by the public have the same
right as other companies to charge reasonable toll
bat their demand Of excessive tolls though not
worse IN law, seems i'll the eye OF natural reason,
greater outrage"
Ii railroad companies possess the right TO charge
a reas enable toll and to appropriate rs benefits to
themselves, whence this right, If rot as an incident
OF existing ownership
proper discharge Of our dutas demands TINT
the rates which we NAV adopt ard establish from
time to tine be Just aud reasonable What Is q lust
and reasonable r. te depends the service to he
performed. a rate TO be Just and reasonable must
be so to all parties interested in the transportation
We cannot herein, for reasons already stated enter
into review st this time Of what goes n1ke up
the cost Of transportation and what proportion
these expenses should be nppoTtioned among the
different commoditCs carried, nor what in orr
opinion viii constitute just and reasonable return
TO the carrier. hese matters viii be fully considered
and our conclus ons made public in another report
to follow this as soon as attendant circumstances
permit. Although in common with the other State
officers, we entered office in January, 1850, an
organization of this Board could not take
place for want Of necessary legislation until NAV 8
lSe9 the Act providing for the organization having
become law on April 18th. On Nav Sd the Com
missioners met in san Francisco and organized as a
Board. J. 5. Cone, Commissioner fr, m the First
District was elected President, W r. Andrews,
Secretary, and f. V. Stenmann baiiiff The Board
proceeded at once to business. The Secretary was
instructed to notify the several transportation COM
panies to at file in the Office of this Board
schedules of their fares and freghts as in force De-
cember 81, 1879, and January l. 1850 stating the
changes, ii any, at the time Of fling. The compa-
nj s. with one or two exceptions, complied as soon
circumstances permitted.
The Pacific Coast Steamship Company refused to
recognize the authority of the Board, and COM
menced suit in the United States Circuit Court to
restrain the Board from in any wise interfering with
the business Of the company. Proper steps have
been taken, by the employ of counsel ETC. to
defend SAID action. Comics of the pieauinus
the ease will be found in the AT pendix hereto.
To give persons residing at distance from the office
of the Board, and who had complaints agaii ST any
transportation company an opportunity to make the
same to us in person, and also to inform ourselves
by personal inspection OF the condition Ui the road
bed, rolling stock, etc, of the several rlro ds OF
this State, and the accommodations and facilities
given the travelling and shipPa IS public by the
transportation companies, visited the following
places in the order AIMED, VIZ; Cotton, San Ber-
narduO county; San Gabriel, Los Angeles Whining
ton Anaheim, Santa Monica, Los Aug les county;
Redwood City, San MateO county; san Jose, Santa
Clara county Hollister San ,BenitO county; Monte
rey, Monterey county Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz
county San Rafael, Tomales, Marin county: Peta-
luna, Cloverdale, Gurnyille, Santa Rosa. SonCma
county MarysviHe Yubs county; CHICO, Butte
county Red Bluff, Tehama county; Re2ding,
Shasta county Sacramento, Sacramento county
Auburn, Placer county Iruckee, Nevada county
ColfaX, Placer county; Nevada City Nevada county
Stockton, San Joaquin county Modesto, Stanislaus
county Mereed, Mereed county Fresno, Fresno
county Nisalia, Tulare county Bakersfield, Kern
county.
In visiting the places named We nave Travelled
over 3, POS miles Due notice given OF the time
and place OF holding our sessions, which were held
iu-eyery instance IN the most convenient place at
tainable to accommodate the public The utmost
latitude permissible accorded t0persons appear
ing before the Board oral statements were received
and phouOgrar hically taken by the enographer Of
the Board and by him written out IN long hand and
filed in office for reference Justice was thus
brought practically to every mans door, and all he
eving themselves aggrieyed given the opportunity
to N Ike manifest their INJURY and receive redress
| Most OF the complaints oral and general ani
not under oath In every case where the Board has
believed merit to exist it has notified the company
| concerned, as TO have the wrong, if found 20
| exist remedied The Board has found . ch erful
willingness the part of tde several transportation
companies 10 correct any irregularities as soon
found to exist and notification Fourteen specific
complaints made to us copies os which, to
gether with copies of answers thereto received,
are published herewith, as the Board considers them
OF value illustrating the general nature of the
complaints made.
lions upon subjects pertaining TO the solution Of the
transportation problem in this State 10 the several
transportation companies and have received prompt
answers We have lately caused to be served on the
several railroad companies carefully prepared cues
tons in relation to their whole business carriers.
The answers when received, which will oe soon,
will materially aid us in our iabors and in ne work
now occupying our attentioD-the hiking Of lust and
reasonable rates for the transportation OF passengers
and freight We call attention in this connel ltoa to
the letter Of \. " TOwne, General Superin, ,enasut
| the Central Pacific Railroad, dated Janu~ry - 1881
appearing IN our appendix, as showing the labor
necessary to answer but few eemngly easy cues
tons relative to the business Of said railroad and
how necessarily this work increases when the ques
tons amount to hundreds. We have lahored assidu-
ously since the time OF organization nine
months ago TO procure the necessary material to
able rs 20 act Understandings and justly and have
sGoose ed 70 such an extent thst - Confidently
/ ~ aNo tp mako the bpupfifa
| creation of this Commission fel; throughout
| the State very soon too, through justice,
the execution Of which can work harm to
no man, and bring about AN era oi good viii
between all interests concerned in the transOrtato
question. In our inspection Of the railroads we have
found the standard gauge roads to be in first-cass
condition, both TO roa1-bed and equipments
Wherever Iais have become worn they nave been
replaced by first-cass steel rails The narrow gauge
roads, as a rule, are in equally good condition
though portions of some of the oider mar
row gauge roads new rails should be at once sulsi
tuted for the old and bady y-woTn rails now USED.
The pas senger and freight tltions ant wa~enorsc
ac -omm odatiOns throughout the State a.! roads
as rule, are good and ample. When the exception
appears have TIE assurance that changes VIl 81
once take place.
This State contains at present ,9J7 76 miles OF
standard auge railroad and 27S.79 miles OF uGr-
row-cauge railroad. There are 66l stations Gu
freight are received and discharged, distributed
among the roads as follows
Central Pacific Rail- oad passenger stations only 2s2
Southern Pacific Railroad .ICZ
South Pacific Coast Railroad. .....-........ S.
Nisaia Railroad. ad....................-.. .......
Santa Cruz Railroad 2J
San Luis obispo aud 5. NJ. Valley Railroad. .
North Pacific Coast Railroad ............ .... 81
Vaca Valley Railroad. ...............-.-... le
Nevada County Railroad ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. /.
san Francisco and North Pacific Railroad ...... 7z
Total ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ......G6l
The tariffs of ;he several transportation companies
Except the Pacific Coast Steamship Company arc
on file in this office.
general reduction in freight charges has taken
place on the Central Pacific Railroad and leased lines
in this State during our term OF office. We give
brief synopsis Of the reduction TO illustrate is gsl
eral character;
GRAIN, PE8 ToS