Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-24


was universally approved and Endorsed by
the people, and whatever reason then ex-
listed for it is strengthened and intensified
to-day, since the major portion of the line
is.complete and in operation. But it was
always understood that the reason for
building the road would not be fully justi-
fed without through connectiOn-that is to
say, until the Oregon company should
build down to the California line. With
out such through connection, as must be
obvious to all, the line could not be
operated on paying basis, and would have
very little value commercially, and indeed
would bankrupt the strongest financial
company. Even when through connection
is had, the road will not pay except as
operated in connection with the Central
Pacific system and az considered in the
light of defense against making territory
commercially belonging to San Francisco
and Sacramento tributary to distant
trade center in another State.
The Northern Pacific Company is ex.
tending the Oregon road to the California
line. At that point it should be met by
the California and Oregon road Trusting
to the speedy construction of the road, in
all the vast section affected by it there has
been large investment, and many legiti-
mate enterprises have been set on foot the
operation of which Will tend, if the
construction of the road steadily con-
tinues, to the opening and perman-
ent settlement of the country. In
agricultural, stock raising, mining, lum-
bering and other lines the private interests
involved are very heavy, and lands pur-
chased for these purposes have been OBJ
tanned only at much advanced rates-in
short, the whole section, capable of and
promising to support large industrial
population, is upon the eve OF that devel-
opment which naturally results from the
penetration of hitherto distant and almost
inaccessible regions by line of railway
direct from the great commercial marts of
the State and connecting with through
trans continental roads,
The two houses of Congress, being poht-
ically opposed in the natural contest for
popular favor, may, by that rivalry, be
LED to act in the matter of the
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sideration of all the factors in
volved 1t is probable, indeed, that Con-
gress will be with difficulty brought to
seriously give its attention to the equities
OF the matter, unless the people of Cali
fornia, especially of her trade centers, take
some action in the premises. Those who
are along the line of the road are not in
sensible to the Importance cf the subject
and the reasonableness and good policy Of
the grant to the company to
enable it TO go GA and meet the Oregon
road, They realize that the Government
cannot thereby be a loser; that, on the
contrary, she Will be gamer. The grant
is not so much a graut to the road as it is
a gift to the people of the State, and in-
deed it is, in its true sense, nothing else.
With the land grant the company will
be able to borrow money sufficient to push
the road to completion, notwithstand-
ing it is an inopportune time to
place railroad securities fer such =
purpose. Without the grant several
years must of necessity elapse be-
fore the line can be built, and the failure
to permit the company to avail Of it will
possibly transfer, as we have already said,
the control of our trade to a company, the
of which are all with commercial
centsrs in Oregon.
The possible entry of the Oregon COM
pany into the northern counties, by reason
of delay in overcoming the obstacles be-
tween that section and the present ter
minus, cannot be contemplated by the
business men of this State with serenity.
When they come to look at the matter in
all its aspects, they must see that it is a
wise policy to use al legitimate efforts to
have Congress allot the time needed for the
California company to reach the State
line, for they must see that the
stimulus OF entry into the northern
counties by the Oregon company, is found
in the expansion it Will give to the bounds
OF its commercial territory, and which it
can make tributary to the whole line from
the Lakes to Puget Sound.
Now since the Government offered the
land involved az q gratnity to any COM
pany constructing the desired road, and
the California and Oregon company en-
tered upon the construction and has built
the major part of the road, and has en-
tered already upon the conquest of the re-
markable physical difficulties on the last
division OF it and since it met in
the work financial obstacles almost insur-
it follows that if not enabled
to carry it on to completion the fruits of
its labor viii be lost, for the road, as far
as constructed, will possess but little value.
The value, indeed, of the road to the
company or the people of this State will
not be developed until it has through
connections. The only point that can be
made in favor OF forfeiting the grant that
is so necessary to the continued steady
progress OF the work is one of time. But
that is really an imnaterial matter, for
Whatever reasons existed for originally
granting TIE subsidy are even more de-
feusib'e now. If the construction of the
road was then desirable. the reasons are
equally cogent now. Ii 1t was deemed a
wise thing TO do to grant these lands, now
threatened with forfeiture, in order to aid
the development of the country, there is
more reason now for bringing that section
into closer communication with California
markets, and in turning its trade where it
properly belongs-to its own State. In
short, there is no argument in favor of en-
aiding such road to be constructed that
is not applicable and with greater force at
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