New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-21

M choica Of selection. Wncre TWO raiiroouS
makes the best bargain he He does not care ~hae
NAV have been the cost Of either road He puts one
AGAINST the other and gets his business done as
cbeapv as he SO in respect to any other properly
Tho cost of store house. or the lot upon winch IL Is
tua.ed does not enter into the consideration OF the
tenant hen he desires to occupy it. II there Is out one
vacant bouse in the place that he desires to live or 40
hnsucss in of course he must pay what the OWNER VI
that property demands II than one, there IS
couneon of which he takes advantage But the co.C
If the property does affect his determination OF inc
price he will pay
Again. the value of railroad property huenates as
does every other species of property. When rdlio"
is but in new and sparsey settled country us 'auo
ia much less than 1t becomes as the count! = trol
and population increases. Eithet'the New OF ,
or the Pennsy vania Railroads have to-day value in
fines i'm excess of the actual cost NO one WOMB oso
reasonable to base tarh OF charges upon titc[ ~ o
roads their actual cost OF neiy aUy Sod reason
why there should he fixed charge upon rallrOa,s, a
only upon actual cost, that the shipper hhouu n
conpeed TO pay charges based on fictitious PSI; or
that the OF such property should he. tbat
benefit Of lis increase in value. II were the I"m hi
the state would permit only such charges as MO id
afford interest upon the cost OF me rOau I 80
be no railroads built. You might WIN el Snted
SON enact that the owner of house should oe i
TO rental of legal interest upon the cost OF e ie
and ground. The only proper Subjects 10 be taken eo
account determining what is lar compel oa
the transportation of persons and property are te
of the service performed and the cost or It's peiioi
ahce' Is rcrrssariiy resnlt as | have heretofore
pointed out that easy thing TO say for any Iehg
OF time in advance, what such charges Should ".
WHAT is FAIR PASSENGER TARIFF
Another question you pat TO me Is:
Would in yor jtdJnrnt three eents per mile De "a"
and proper rate 10 diiotc maximum for me "dSPO
tdtion Of passengers "a mis- state =
This question is, TO some extent, answered IN WHAT
have heretofore sal d; bnt can give to II further anu
more e.orical answer by saying, do not thhH II
would be fair or just maximum. believe that All
railroads and pOratOn companies IND tefSieaes'
profit in rate OF fare; but that OF course is ueet
70 the qualification that the population l. sufficiently
numerous to increase travel by tempting II Win 10"
rates Between all the centres Of population III this
STATE three cents is as high rate as the companies
charge But do not consider it would be iair rate
as ma ximum for local travel There are points De
tween which | think II would be decidedly unjust to
reGre the companies To transport passengers at threc
cents mile Take the county Of san Bernardlno, ne
tween Cotton and Yuma. distance of about 200 miles
over which there Is very little local business. Ihree
cents mile between those points would not DC a iair
conversation At three cents q mile the fare from
Sacramento to Truckee would he about 50 80 wonli
not regard tis as sufficient In the sparsely settled
portions of the State where there Is very little local
travel between stations, in the San Joaquin valley
and the counties south of Kern three cents mile on
local tickets would not be adequate compensation be
tween san Francisco and Sacramento san Francisco
and Jose through rate for any long distance
where the travel IL sufficient TO NIL ian 10 lis laI
capacity. think three cents Il nile would he an ade-
but maximum rate In besc-tahlShcd Dy
law, have no hesitation III eond-hlmnR IL as nsunl
Gent And right at this point say tal no more yIcN
Gus mary, IN my o ihnn IT, scn rate AZ VIII
destroy the vnue of railroad property
COMPETITION TIIF NATURAL REGULATOR
The solution Of this vexed problem of railroad charges
will come only through competition; hut both the prob
ability and the possibility OF such competition Is delay ed
and nut in Jeopardy by demonstrating TO the world
that it possible to administer the in the state OF
California TO prevent capital invested in railroads
within its jurisdiction from enjoying the same possibility
OF profit is accorded 20 capital invested IN other en-
terprises However much l. in comlHon with other
citizens OF California, have had occasion to condemn
particular acts OF railroad management feel that We
should only increase the evils that have accrued from
snch acts by undertaking TO discriminate between the
rights of investors railroads and the rights or investors
in any other property. BY this do not mean TO say
that railroads should be entirely free from Governmental
CONTROL There are many questions as TO the use and
service railroads which the state properly and
should regulate One OF these is TO enforce tie equal
rights of all persons the and -ervcc OF the road
But what Is that the attempt 10 regulate the
business conduct of railroad corporation, the state
should undertake TO subvert all the natural laws of
trade supply and demand and in lis zeal 10 regulate
or suppress possible evil. it sDoIid slide from the
field OF regulation 10 the abyss Of coniacatiOn.
As well known, both 10 your honorable body aud 10
the people OF this State, | have in times past been
somewhat active in endeavoing 10 enforce by legi,la
fixed iarn upon All railroads.. seven years ago
appeared before legislative committee to speak In favor
OF the passage OF known the Archer BILL"
which WAS an act regulate fares and reiehs all the
railroads in California. That bill was made a. perfect
as the conflicting views o. prominent members OF the
e-slaurc and the opposition Of the railroad managers
would permit. thought Il then with some few excep
tions W hch permitted TO change. reasonably
good bill and urged its passage. 1t met the approval Of
the Assembly, but rejected by the Sepac. may
saw no think fortunate for the public interests that
il did become law. because can see that II had
IT would in a short time after it, passage, in consequence
OF the change in the modes OF doing business. the shift
ing wants OF the farming and mercantile community,
and tie auotuaton or commerce. have been oppressive
both 10 the railroads and their pairCIs II wOul have
forced railroad companies, as have suggested may be-
the case cease To be competitors or business that
be done on the natural highways. ana would thus have
seriously diminished the income OF the railroads not
only without benefit to tie community but to its positive
ln,s ard injury II the Archer B' had been pat upon
not ana could not have been constructed. Under thr
o that law It's securities @ond not have been
marketed and correcting :0r the purpose OF this inquiry
that which has Dccn often asserted and often denied
d np,iis O; The Ccm,rIl Pacific The amer of the Ca
trail Pacific with such law IN force, would not have
within the Jurisdiction O the state OF California. Win
TIE Areher b ih or y similar ,h n IN ioree, the con-
marrow gauge would not in all probability, have been
undertaken
I>FLUENCE OF Az UNJUST TARIFF.
To the extent Of my material Interests in California
am per- onay concerned IN procuring low rates offges
and frcghts can he obtained enforced with
Justice 20 The carrier And II possible TO accom-
psh this result by legislative onicai interference
would he more than glad TO have II done. But my
perencc forces the conclusion that the most eec
tive manner OF obtaining cheap carriage leave the
whole subject to the higher law of competitions Com
petiton cannot he obtained by enforced un
lust tariff ON the contrary it w0uld be the effective
means mating the door to IT, The agitation that has
prevailed In California and the laws, both organic and
statute. thai v been adopted and passed, looking
10 the official regulation OF the OF cOrpoi ate property
have already done our state much damage In my per
sonal intercourse with OF the leading capitalists
and investors OF this coUntry have found them ayerse
TO investing in railroads in California; and their pGnci-