The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-03-11
IMPORTANT TRANSPORTATION CHANGES
IN AMERICA.

The breakdown of the Transconti-
mental Railway Association, reported from
the Coast, is perhaps the most important
piece of news published for many years,
having regard to the industrial develop
ment of the entire Pacific Slope, and by
sympathy Herewith in degree also of
these Islands. The Democratic Admin
istration attacked as unconstitutional the
pooling Arrangement between the over
land railroads and the Pacific Mail Com
pany under which the latter was paid a
subsidy of $85 900 a month for not COM
peting for freight and passengers to the
Pacific Coast. The result was that all
the vast territory west of the Missouri
river was made tributary to the Union
and Central Pacific railroads, and lat
terly of the Southern and Northern Pa
cific also. That the development of that
fertile region was greatly retarded by this
policy is beyond question, while the rail-
road corporations exacted precisely
what rates they pleased to charge, dis
eliminating as well against places as
against individuals.
For a long time it was a question
whether any other railroad combination
could force an entrance into San Fran
cisco, or torch tide water anywhere on
the Pacific. But OF late this point has
been decided against the Union and Cen
trail Pacific. The Atlantic and Pacific
has secured the right of entrance to San
Francisco over the Southern Pacific from
the Mohave junction by arrangement
with the latter corporation, but as it was
amicably done, it did not touch the ques-
ton of freight. The Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe Company having secured
the right of way to the harbor and port
made demand for half the freight of
the State, which the old overland cor
porations refused 1t wanted to divide
the State into two divisions, one part to
lie north of the line of Mohave and the
other south of it, assigning to itself the
traffic of the southern half. This would
have given it control of the great citrus
belt of California, and was of course not
conceded. The Canada-Paeifc likewise
became a disturbing element. The
Transcontinental Railway Association
offered it similar terms to those which
had been accepted by the Northern Pa
cifc upon its completion, but the offer
was declined, the Canadians, like the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe people,
wanting so per cent of the Coast trade,
or two-ffths of the entire business.
Thereupon ensued disruption of the
Transcontinentai Railway pool The
Union and Central Pacific announce a
heavy cut on passenger rates to Omaha,
and a. similar reduction on freights is
threatened. The Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe corporation, being composed of
Boston people, means business and has
met this reduction; while the Pacific
Mail Company, being thrown upon it's
own resources, was adding steamer a
week to its feet at latest date to enable
it to compete for freight from New York
for the Pacific Coast.
The result has been to open the Eastern
markets to California products, freight
charges being heretofore nearly prohib-
tive That it will stimulate agricultural
settlement on the Pacific Slope is ac-
cepted as conclusive, because the peo-
pie will never again submit to the ruin
GUS exactions of the single track railroad
uoonOnoIv from Council RIufs tn San
Francisco. Our Islands produce would
participate in the advantages of these
freight charges if we had any produce to
send to speak of, but beyond little rice
and bananas nothing goes out of the
country except sugar. One cannot but
regret this fact, because the difference in
the seasons would bring Hawaiian fruit
into the American market when the
California and Florida supply was ex-
hausted.