Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-12-29
TIE RELATION OF THE INTERIOR TC
THE METROPOLIS.

The annual statistical exhibit of the
commerce and trade of Sacramento which
has been so many successive years gathered
with great care by the RECORD UNION, will
be presented in this journal next Tuesday.
1t will show that the trade in the year
1883 for this city has advanced more than
u per cent. over the volume OF business
for lSS2-and that is an exceedingly low
figure, and that the facts would have justi-
fed statement of Is per cent. our stats
teal reporters assure US. Now it must be
evident to the dullest intelligence that a
trade which in en- years has almost trebled
while the population of the trade area has
not doubled by any means, has resulted
largely from division of patronage. In
other words, Sacramento has divided the
business of the interior with the metropo.
lis. At the same time she has benefited
the interior residents by enabling them to
save a broad margin of cost in procuring
here the supplies they need. To consid-
cradle extent, also, new trade has been
built up and new markets developed. The
motive of the protest OF the San Francisco
jobber to the Central Pacific Railroad
Company is therefore clearly seen. Una
bic to resist the encroachments justified
by natural advantages of rival marts, he
asks the rail carriers OF the State to discrim-
mate in his favor, and fortifes his appeal
by the assertion that the consolidation Of
the jobbing trade in his hands will be a
benht to the whole State. To him
is addressed the reply of the
General Manager OF the Central
Pacific Railroad, A. y. Towne, which we
published in full on Thursday. Whether
intended or not that reply is a severe crit
icism upon proposed business methods Of
San Francisco houses, and a trenchant and,
IN some respects, a caustic rebuke. For
instance, in the matter OF tie shipping con.
tracts, which it is desired shall be modified
to favor the San Francisco shipper only, he
remarks that it is not true that the capital
invested or the amount of taxes paid by
any firm have been taken into account by
the railroad company in adjusting con-
tracts. Why shoulI they? The business
OF the carrier has nothing to do with any
fact except offered freight, regardless of
who are the patrons or the extent of their
trade, save as to the single question as to
whether the offerer Is doing general and
legitimate business in this market to enti.
tie him to consideration as a merchant.
He clearly points out that the request to
contine the terminal or competitive points
to Sacramento, Stockton and Los Angeles
woull as much violate the principle OF
commercial competition as to exclude all
these points, since it is not the will of the
carrier, but the meeting of ship and rail,
that creates the competitive point and
establishes a relation that San Francisco
desires shall be unrecognized by the carrier
in order to conserve her ends. That is 70
say, she would violate fundamental prin.
ciple of the moral code to line her Golfers.
Mr.. Towne points on. that no country
dealer receives the advantages of any other
than the nearest through or competitive
point. To compel him to pay tribute to a
distant one would be rank injustice.
There is wit in the expressed surprise
that as the present arrangement has ex.
listed fourteen years, the San Francisco
merchant has only just awakened TO its
Importance TO him. He recalls to the at
tention of his correspondents fact which
they seem to have all this time ignored
that the points which compete with San
Francisco for the trade of the interior are