Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-02-15

A. N. TowRe, of the Southern Pacific and Central
Pacific Railroads. In the insane raid now being
made upon lines Of land transportation there has
been such flood OF Misrepresentation that II be-
hooyes people who ara fair enough TO hear both
sides Of question TO read what Mr. Towne has
TO say
SAN Francisco February 5, 1888
Honorable Board OF Railroad Commissioners
Gentlemen In regard to the subject referred to- Of
the construction Of railroads in the State Of Cafor
mia and the benefits derived therefrom, and agree
able to promise, desire TO say the testimony de-
rived from experience has led to the settled conclu-
sion that the construction and operation OF railroads
confer development upon the section of country
served by them.
had supposed this to be so fully admitted as to
have passed beyond the realm of controversy long
ago. From what was said at the last meeting, and
from the reports of the proceedings of your honor
able body, it appears that this common and we'll
established conclusion has been questioned, and the
theory relates to the Southern Pacific Railroad sys
tenn in the San joaquin valley, and the counties of
Los Angeles and San Bernardino.
understand that it is alleged that the Southern
Pacific system has not promoted the creation Of
wealth or the
SETTLEMENT OF POPULATION,
Or the general welfare OF the communities named.
By this position there raised issue of fact which
has induced me to institute careful review of the
favor Of railroad building have been based.
The facts herein presented are from official
sources They are comparative statistics determi-
nate Of conclusions fully establishing the high eco-
nomic value Of railroad construction.
Your attention is most respectfully called, first to
the com parative statistic data, and with your kind
permission will later on present in the most direct
manner at my command the general considerations
bearing upon this subject
RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION.
IT. ID
with Goshen, was constructed during the years
ls7e-71. The extensions of that line were made
as follows; Goshen to Upton, finished June, 1872
Upton to Delano, finished June, Js73 DeIano to
Lerdo, finished June, 1874 Lerdo to Sumner fin
ished 1875; Sumner to Caiiente, finished May 1876
Caliente to Tehachspi, finished June, 1876 Teha.
chapi to Mojave, finished July, 1876 Moiave San
Fernando, finished September, 1876; San Fernando
to Spldra, finished April, 1874 Spadra to San Cor
gono, fiji ishsd October, 1875 San Gorgonio to In
dio, finished June, 1876 Indio to Yuma, finished
June, 1877 from Goshen north to Hanferd, finished
December, 1876 from Hanford to Huron, finished
January 1877; Los Angeles system connected with
the San Francisco system September 5, 1876 road
| completed to Colorado river in 1877; Yuma to
Ell Paso opened up to traffic May, 1884, and to New
| Orleans February l, 1888.
| From the foregoing it will be seen that Los An.
| geles was connected with San Francisco SEPTEMBER
/ 5, 1876 Through c-mmunication between the
cities OF San Francisco and Los Angeles therefore,
had been established but six years. Eastward con-
nections, via the A. l. and S. F. R. R., affording
| outlets for the products Of Los Angeles and San
Francisco, were established to Deming March, 1881
to El Paso, with the Texas and Pacific, January l,
1882, and to the Gulf OF Mexico February !, 1888.
| BENEFITs TO PRODUCTS.
| From the time of the completion OF the road to
| Yuma, the staple products Of southern California
were exported to Arizona, and with the further ex-
tension Of the road to Tucson and the New Mexican
4 -
4 When the junction with the Atchison, Topeka and
| Santa Fe Railroad was effected a still broader area
was opened up to the semitropical products of the
southern portion of this State The differences of
production between different parts of the earth con-
4 stitute the basis of commercial exchange between
| them. The fruits and garden truck of Los Angeles
rpened earlier in the season than the products
in the region lying east of the Sierra Nevada range
and north Of the thirtyifth parallel
| IN ILLUSTRATION:
Potatoes, tomatoes, green peas, and other garden
vegetables obtanable in Los Angeles as early as
April, while these articles of fool cannot be OBJ
tanned north of the thirty fifth parallel before May
and in still further northern ATTITUDES not before
June and July. The rate of transportation between
| Southern California and the Northwestern States
affords a profitable margin for the expectation OF
garden vegetables, while 100000 of the people OF
| the United States reside in ATTITUDES where the
tropical and semi tropical products of Southern Cali
| fornia cannot be grown.
THIS FACT
| viii confer upon Southern California permanent
and ready market for her products. Before the
competition Of the railroad lines connecting the
southern part of our State with the States and Ter
ritories mentioned, there existed to limited ex
tent the production of fruit and wine in the counties
/ of Los Angeles and San Bernardino, but the com
| petion of the railroad in question has conferred
| upon that section a profitable market for lumber
/ through the mort of WilminptOu grain and all
dairy, orchard and garden products, and has given
impetus to these industries which has conferred
wealth upon that part of the State.
INCREASE OF TAXABLE PROPERTY.
! That this is so, is further emphasized by the in
crease of taxable property during the past ten
years. In 1870 the tax roll of Los Angeles county
showed the aggregate taxable property to be
s6,9ls,O74. In 1852 the tax.roll for that county
showed the aggregate taxable property to be s2O,-
975 1SS-an increase of 800 per cent in twelve
years The official figures show the lArger per cent
of this increase should be credited to the past five
years. The same gratifying result is obtained by
comparison of the tax-roll for 1870 with that of
| 1882 relates to San Bernardino county The
| figures are as follows:
Taxable property in 1870. 81, ,2O2 4s2
Taxable property in 1882. 3 925, ,345
Being gain of over 300 per cent, and as in the
former case over go per cent. of this gain may be
credited to the period which has elapsed since the
I
THE OFFICIAL EXHIBIT
Less satisfactory relates to the counties in the San
Joaquin valley. San Joaquin county, the wealthiest
and most populous Of the San joaquin valley coun-
ties, contained but s7,s8o,O00 worth of taxable
property in 1870 while the tax roll OF 1882 shows
| S2S, Ia, T56 within that county
Like comparisons instituted relating to the other
| counties OF the San Joaquin valley show like re-
suits as, for instance, the fooings of the tax roll
i t. TLN
tax roll for 1882 foots up slO,62O 49, being gain of
/ over 800 per cent.
| The same results are obtained by a comparison of
the value OF the taxable property between the ears
| 1870 and 1882 in the counties Of San Bernardino,
Mercsd, Fresno, Tulare and Kern; and for your
better information the following tabular statement,
obtained from the Office OF the Controller of State,
is presented This table includes the taxable prop
eity in the counties mentioned for the years 1880,
| 1870 and 1882:
| Counties. Tax, 1880. Tax, 1870 Tax, 1882