Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-02-08
REDUCED cosr OF TRANSPORTATION

A meeting Of the Ship-owners' Association,
the Chamber of Commerce, and the Board CT
Trade of San Francisco, was held in that
luton given below was passed. TIE three
organizations, thus in joint session, and tax
ing this action, sre highly representative
bodies, and the deliberate declaration made
by them in the resolution, as to the great re-
duction in the cost of transportation, caused
by railroad competition, furnishes chapter
of unattended but deeply important and I'M
questionable evidence, which upon those not
governed by prejudice Nor seeking personal
ends, should 90 tar towards solving the ques-
tion of right, end the duty Of Assemblymen
and Senators upon the several railroad bills
now pending in the Legislature. The resolu-
tion is in these words, and upon it the Argo-
maui makes the pointed remarks which fol.
low it
Resolred, That the aggressive attitude Of the
overland railroads toward the shipping, that
has heretofore been their only rival in the Cali
fornia freighting business, should excite the
attention and solicitude OF all who hold
dear the liberty of the citizen and the good
Of the State. That inward freights by sea
to San Francisco have been SO reduced by
railroad competition that no vessel can pay ex-
penses including the port charges of the most ex-
pensive port in the world, on any inward voyage
subject to that competition. That now that the
railroads are in position to control outward
freight likewise, so that high rates by sea can
again be obtainabe, the reduction of our port
charges has become absolute necessity, in default
whereof shipping mus inevitably cease to seek
port so distant isolated, and costly as ours.
Let every line of this resolution be analyz:d
by the producing classes Of this State, by the
consumer, the farmer and interior trader, the
mechanic and workingmap, and they will
gather some new ideas regarding the aggreE-
sve attitude of railroads toward shipping !;
their minds will open to more intelligent
comprehension of some of the causes that
have combiped-and we should now use an
unmsaning expression If we said had ICON
spired ITO manufacture an uufriendly seoti
ment against railroads. What does rivalry"
in trsnsE ortation mean but cheap freishts
and fares? What does cheap transportation
of farm produce mean but high prices What
does railroad rivalry with ships in inward
and outward freights mean but reduced
cost to everything we consume, and an en-.
HANGED value to everything we produce for
sale? This question should indeed "excite
the attention and solicitude OF all who hold
dear the liberty CT the citizen and the good
of the State" Liberty of the citizen
means freedom from the conspiracy of trade.
The "good of the State means immunity
from the dishonest exactiors of commerce.
If it is true that :" inward freight by sea has
beer so reduced by railroad competition that
DO vessel csn pay expenses on any inward
voyage" does it not prove that the railroads
are doing our business st a less cost than the
ships, and that railroads, as compared
with OCEAN navigation. are to be fos-
tered and eEccuragedirsther than vili6ed and
denounced? If it is true that "tae railroads
are row in position TO control outward freight
likewise, SO that high rates by sea can never
again be attsinable, is it not to .he credit Of
railroad owners and managers? Is is not 8
splendid triumph 'hat they can by steam and
steel successfully compete with the oak and
iron leviathsns Of the sea (? Is it not COM
rlete " dead give sway for ship-owners and
merchants to thus confess that railroads have
rendered high freights on outward-bound Cal,
goes impossible fer all coming time?