Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-11-12
MEASUREMENTS RgFUTED.

The following letter was published in
the Prairie Farmer, Chicago, under date
of October 9th and the above caption:
EDITOR FARMER l am one of those who
believe in progress and development, and
believe in the appliances and industries
that assist in the advancement of the ma
terial interests of the people and the ma
tion. Iregard railroads as the great in.
strument with which this work is accom-.
plished. But while believing this / do not
believe that railroads or railroad managers
are infallible, faultless, incapable Of doing
wrong. / know that they are prone to
error, and as grasping and ayaricious as
any other of the many devices aud combi-
nations of man for making money. The
real sins of omission and commission on
the part of railroad companies are numer-
ous enough to form quite catalogue, and
this being the case | cannot see the neces.
sity for lengthening the list by the addi.
tion OF imaginary evils having no existence
outside of the mind Of the individual who
launches them forth.
A correspondent of the Chicago Tribune,
signing himself d" H. d. L." writing from
San Francisco under date of September
3Oth, seems to think that in the denuncia-
tion of the railroads regard for truth
need not be entertained. He makes Wig
orous and visionary onslaught upon the
railroads of this State, and in support of
his arraignment asserts what, in many in
stances, is not sustained by the facts. He
says the orange crop of this year is still un-
picked, because the railroad freight charges
are so high that oranges cannot be shipped
at profit to the shipper. The single fact
that in February last the rate en- oranges
was fixed by the railroad at the figures
named by the shippers, is complete an
initiation of the assertion. He says
prominent citizen of Los Angeles told him
that the city of Los Angeles gave the rail.
road company 81, $50, 600 in subsidy. How
any intelligent citizeno of Los Angeles could
make this statement in the face of the
record to prove that not one-half or one
third of such sum was donated, leave
"H. D. L.. to explain. But the length
of a communication acceptable to the
columns Of the Prairie Farmer precludes
an itemized refutation of the many mis-
statements put forth by this modern
Munchsusen under the sting of a refusal to
give him free pass over the Central Pacific
Railroad, and l will merely recapitulate
few of the benefits derived by the people
from the railway system of California.
Our railroads have made it possible to
cultivate at profit thousands of acres
which, without the railroad, were 30 re-
mote from market as to be almost valueless
for anything more than sheep walks and
cattle ranges. An idea of what the
Southern Pacific Railroad has done for the
counties of the State through which it runs
may be gathered from the following official
figures. The entire taxable property in
Los Angeles, San Bernsrdino, San Joaquin,
Merced, Stanislaus, Fresno. Tulare and
Kern counties, in 1860. only aggregated
Sl3, ,6l3, 36l, or over $1,000, 600 less than
the taxable property of Los Angeles county
on the beginning of this year. Or, in other
words, Los Angeles county had, OF DeGem-
ber 81, 1882 she has much more loFf--J0
per cent. more taxable prope-tY than The
entire San joaquin valley had in 1860. In
1870 the total taxable property of these
counties amounted to S3l, 277, ,S9l, while-st
the beginning of this year the aggregate
value of taxable property footed up S9l,-
6l0. sol, The tax roll Of Los Angeles
county for 1883 shows over So, 600 600 in
crease of taxable property within a single
year. A few years ago the tonnage on
wheat from San Francisco to Liverpool
seldom fell below $40 per ton, and often
reached aa high as S2S per ton. The
completion of the Southern Pacific Rail.
road to New Orleans reduced this ton
mage to $40 and SO per ton, and it will
never again get above these figures,
thus saving to the wheat-producers of the
State millions and millions of dollars.
Within the past five years the wheat
acreage has increased nearly 80 per cent.
This is largely due to the increased market
facilities afforded by the railroads. Rail-
roads have reduced the average haul of
wheat from the farm to the point of ship
ment more than one.half in distance, and
the cost of moving the grain from the field
to boat or car ia still greater proportion.
Without the railroad the average cost,
within the State, of moving ton of wheat
from the place of production to the ship
was about 81; with the railroad it falls be-
low 50 30 per ton. Perhaps our railroads
could do better for US than they are doing
We think they could in some things. They
are doing better year by year, and we have
their assurance that they will do better
and better as the country settles up and
the volume of business increases. We are
always willing to give them credit where
credit is due, and we are just as ready to
brand as false all such unjust and mali
cious statements concerning them as are
put forth by "H. d. L. in the Chicago
Tribune. J. NJ. B.
Sacramento, Cal, October 10th.