Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-09-17
TRANSPORTATION QUESTION.

4 word uDon the transportation question 1t
is plain that there is p int of distance from
lines OF trans )ortaliOn where ore product can be
prOiitably grown, bet another may not; but
there comes a point where nothing can be 1t
is also plain that on lines Of transportation there
IS Il rate OF ireiEhtS which leaves profit, an
other rate which barely allows the industry
to exist, and another that destroys it,
Hence comes the importance TO orr welfare
that trans OTtaLion lines should be managed
with IA comprehensive intelligence and with
fun knowledge Of every factor entering into
profitable farming. The adjustm nj OF rates
should not be upon any nice calculation rs to
how nuch the traffic will bear, because that
rule leaves no margin for short crops, low prices
or business fluctuations it ignores the vital
principle in railroad building that its Succ5s IS
must depend upon the success of patrons and
that railroad enterprises are for all time and
always discount the future prosperity Of the
region traVersed. The relation between carrier
and producer Is 50 close aud 50 inseparable that
Il war between the two always reminds me Of an
old Latin phrase entitled, " lontcr q acmbrd."
The stomach fell out with the limbs one day
on the contention as TO their Independence and
rs to which was of the greater value to the body.
Each refused to perform its Offices the body
Shrnnk away and died. carrying with It in one
heap OF moldering dust stomach, limbs and all.
Railroad operators must be accorded ordinary
business sense and Sagaclty they want divi-
deuds, but they don't want to kill the goose
that is laying the golden egg. Generally, not
always, they are amcnable TO reason and argyll
mcnt, and can be made to see that their
interest is common one with the pro
Queer. Ten years ago l joined certain
parties in the establishment of u large lumber
enterprise in the upper Sacramento valley. The
freight rates on lumber excluded certain of our
classes from competition with Oregon lumber in
the lower country markets our high grades
corld stand the tariff. We asked reduction on
all classes and grades i'll car lots. to meet our
trade. It was granted, ON a fair showing of the
necessity. and the rates have never since re-
quired further reduction Others have been less
I told prG1,a iix Il M
know all the facts. Unfortunately for the inter
eSts of all shippers, there has been more of a
disposition TO make war upon the transportation
cpmpanic than to meet by fair and persistent
argument the matters at issue. The t-ansporta-
ton mpnuieS have been used by political par
ties to further political ends and Of course,
when thrown into the arena, they had 20 fight
their way out. and meanwhile the people most
interested were the sufferers. IL was an imp1r-
tant event to the people of this coast when the
transportation companies were permitted to go
out of politics. The concern of this Society is
not with these companies further than they
are factors in the problem of our prosperity. As
such we may inquire what has been done in the
way of reduction of freights especially, and also
of fares. Ii is my purpose 10 call attention only
to such concessions as have been made and
rates established in the interest of PATRONS of
this Society. cannot go far into the question
of further needs. but l think it should be the
interest aud concern of this Society 10 do so.
Under the Cone Commission there was re-
duction from pre-eNisting rates TO tide water
from - 10 IS per cent Tor the carriage OF wheat.
corn oats barley. -four mill stuifs cattle sheep.
hogs and wool. This was substantial benefit
of great Importance to the farmer and stock
grower The completion of the Southern Pacific
line made il possible 10 move grain to the grain
markets of Europe via New Orleans or Calves
ton, and although this has not been done, we
have had reduced rates By sea since this became
possible. This reduction by sea amounted to
81 per cent, more than oue-third less than pre-
vious rates. II is easy to see that on a shipment
of 10000 or 10000 tons the saving is important.
A saying OF one-fourth to tide-water and of one
third thence TO Liverpoolis not to be overlooked
in considering whether the transportation COM
panieS are meeting the people in their efforts to
develop the resources of the country and make
homes.
On fruits moving TO San Francisco there has
also been = substantial reduction, and on fares
both ways, and on inland freights, under the
present Commission. No doubt much may be
done by careful comparison of rates with needs
of business, and this we shall hope will
come along in due time. There are per-
sons who win never be content until
they are assured that the transportation
companies have been ''cinched," and such per-
sons will never be satisfied with reasonable re
auctions. but NO one Gag deny. who IS at ell ia
miliar with the subject, that many causes of
COMPLAINT have been removed: that as q rule
the companies are fairly meeting the wants of
the producers, and that already large sums are