Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-01-26

yond all question. During the seven years endn
December 81 1882, there were transported over the
Central Pacific system As 1853 245 passengers mum
Der nearly equal to the entire population Of the
United States. In the year 1876 four passengers
were killed. in 1877, two in 1873, three; 1879,
four; 1880, five; 1881. four; 1882, i've, making
total of twenty-seven passengers killed. in seven
years. Not one OF the deaths was caused by the
carelessness or misconduct OF the company or its
employees, but every was the result of the pas
sengers' carelessness or intoxication.
A thoughtful writ.r in the San francisco Chroil-
cIe OF January 2ls attributes the great number OF
accidents which occur upon Amer can railways to
the fact that inadequate compensation is paid
by the companies to their emp,o5es and therefore
skillful operators cannot be procured
TIE mlnagers Of the Central Pacific Railroad
doubt the poigy Of an act which must necessarily
reduce the wages OF Its employees from the present
high STANDARD to the low standard of the Georgia
roads, Tney doubt whether the services OF CON-
petent men can be obtained in California at the
rates fixed for similar services in the ate OF
Georgia. A large proportion OF the employees of the
Central Pacific Railroad Company have grown in its
service they have their homes to maintain and their
families TO support from their earnings, and any
material reduction in those earnings would be
severely felt not only by the employees but by those
dependent upon them. The fact that the Central
Pacific Railroad Company maintains to day about
the rates for the services of its skilled me-
chancs and operators that it plid fifteen years ago
has tended to maintain that rate or one very nearly
as high for skilled mechanics and operators on
other lines Of railroad and in other departments Of
business within the State
THE WAGES QUESTION.
The Central Pacific Railroad Company is MT pre-
pared, will it willingly the responsibility
of reduction in the wages of its employees. Its
managers have grave doubts whether measure of
this kind, if wise could be enforced, and they
certainly have 10 desire to attempt the experiment
Labor 10 California, as you aware, is exceed
ingly sensitive to anything that affects, seems to
affect its interests. For several years past it has
been claimed in this State that there is a CO. iict
between labor and capital that the rich are en-
deavorug to deprive the poor OF the just rewards OF
their services. It has been claimad, and it is now
asserted that the great corporations of the country
are absorbing the earnings OF tie laboring classes
Whistler these claims can be maintained or these
assertions substantlated, is matter OF small i'm
portance in this discussion for it cannot be denied
that widespread belief exists that ouch is the fact
In republican Government the authorities cannot
safely ignore the belief of the people upon these
subjects, whether that belief is well founded not.
1t would give co,or to these notiens if tt ose in
charge of great works were to attempt to put their
employees upon the same wages those received by
the negroes in Georgia. Ii such thing were done
by the sanction and ucder the direction Of great
department OF the State Government, the laboring
man might well inquire what benefit has accrued to
him from the exclusion OF Chinese, if he is to be
brought into competition with the negro laborer OF
Georgia.
TRANSPORTATION
Is one of the great interests OF the country Trans
poraton by rail is still in its infancy. The great
problems involved in it to great degree rema'nyet
to be solved to the satisfaction of all parties inter-
esed. 1t is in this sort of transportation that the
State of California is most deeply interested Upon
your Board the trainers Of the Constitution of this
State have in terms conferred great powers With
such powers great responsibilities go of necessity.
The result Of thoughtful, considerable action upon
your part may be of incaleulablo benefit; on the
other hand, hasty, l-considered action may result
in disasters from which the State and transportation
companies might not recover for years The men
leased lines have all their ntere is in California and
no citizens within the limits of the State are more
deeply involved in its prosperity and beg to sug-
gest to you that you ought not to assume lightly
that any institution under their control would in
tentiolally be managed adverse to the interest of
that State. l, is true that in the operation of line
Of railr ad through 4 new country there will b.,
even under the ablest management, points of iric
ton, and it would be expecting too much of hu
manity to hope that the management in all things
would be perfect or that inju,tics would not at
times be done. We think that an investigation will
show that, taking into consideration the novelty Of
the enterprise and the diff ,ultes in the way, there
are as few just complaints about the management
OF the roads in question as could reasonably be
expected.
Neither the Central Pacifc Railroad Company nor
any of the companies connected with 1t, shrink from
fair investigation of their operations by any tribu
nal or board, whether authorized by law or not, but
the contrary invite such investigation, and will
at all times afford every facility therefor. The
managers OF the companies il question believe that
notwithstanding what may have been said by ire
sponsible parties, many OF whom have had little if
any dealings with it, and the most of whom speak
without knowledge Of the subject, that an examina
ton viii develop the fact that thors is
NO JUST GROUND OF COMPLAINT.
twill not be pretended that the Chamber of Com
merce the Board OF Trade and the California Ship.
Owners Association of San Francisco are at all under
the control of the Central Pacific Railroad Company
that either Of these respectable bodies is apt to
overstate the benefits which have resulted to the
State from the judicous management of the Central
Pacific Railroad. We quote from the resolutions
adopted by those bodies jointly assembled January
9th I" That inward freights by to San Francisco
have been SO reduced by railroad competition, that
no vessel can Pay expenses, including the port
charges of the most expensive port in the world in
any inward voyage subject to that competition and
now the railroads are in a position to control out
ward freight likewise, SO that high rates can never
again be cbtainable'
Your honorable Board will see from this extract
that the intelligent bodies which adopted the reso-
luton concede that the Central Pacific Railroad and
its leased lines not only carrying the inward
freiShts of California cheaper than they be
transported by water, but in position ard viii
soon take outward Heights for less rates. Your
honorable body viii also that it is the judgment
of the bodies in question that hi III rates by sea viii
never again be obtalnabla California on an average
years yield will export million tons of wheat.
Prior to the completion Of the Southern Pacific Rail-
road freights ranged as high es s25 per ton Since
the completion Of that read thaY have ranged as low
50 or $40 per ton Il Is safe say that the trans
portation OF two trainloads of wheat from Port
Costa to New Orleans by way Of the Southern Pa.
cic Railroad in the year 1882 reduced the rates on
wheat by sea at the very least IS per ton, maxi
annual saving to one class alone of the producers OF
California of sum greater than the whole cost of
maintaining their State Government and the public
schools II this reduction can be maintained, as
the Boards in question assert it can, not only will
the saving be annually as great, but the cost of
moving the wheat crop by railroad will so into the
| hands OF American mechanics, operators and labor
ers instead of into the pockets OF British shpown.
ers The whole paid viii be retained as part of
the wealth OF the country.