Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-03-20
THE RAILROAD WAR.
COLONEL IF. CROCKER GIVES HIS
VIEWS ON THE SITUATION.
He Thinks That the War Will Last
for Long Time-It is Not
an Unmixed Evil.
Is. F. Post, March 10Th.

\
Colonel Charles F. Crocker, lust returned
from an inspection trip over the S. P. to
New Orleans to-day, made time for short
talk with Post reporter on the railroad
situation
You ask me what l think will be the
result OF this railroad war and how soon it
Will end ?" said he. II will say that NV
individual opinion is worthless, because no
one can possibly tell what our competitors
Will do; but if you wish for my opinion
will give it. do not think that the war
will end soon. believe it will be long.
hard fight. l cannot see how it can be
otherwise. There is no prospect that can
see, of any speedy discussion looking TO a
compromise, much less treaty. You Will
remember, when | was interviewed bv.a
PoS reporter at the opening of the war.
that said it was more than case of bluff:
that the stage where peace was possible
without war was passed, and that did not
believe that any treaty could be made un-
I'll one party was completely exhausted I
told you then that it was no bogus or con-
dltlonal warfare, but a genuine fight with
out any reservation, and nothing has since
transplred to alter that view of the case. Ii
IS u bitter battle, in which some one has to
be crushed before peace can be made.
LOCAL EFFECT OF THE WAR.
Regarding the effect of the rate war on
this coast, | see some cause for coneratula
ton to the people of this State. 1t is true
that merchants are embarrassed and trade
circles disturbed by the constant cutting.
but the steps we took to protect our CUSTOM
ers by rebate, and the terrible cut. made
early in the fight considerably ameliorated
the element of disturbance. One the other
hand, the large reduction in west bound
passenger rates has brought thousands to
this State who could not otherwise have
come here, and am pleased to see that
great many of them are searching among
the valleys and garden spots of the State
Tor land for investment or settlement OF
course the large accession of visitors to the
State adds to our local business, and look
Tor still greater advantage accruing to the
State and to our companies from this in
flow OF men and money. 1t has for MANY
years been the desire of Senator Stanford
10 make West-bound rates as low as pos
sible to encourage immigration, from which
our companies reap a permanent adyan-
tage IN the settling up of the State and the
attendant increase of local business, and
our Eastern agents are doing all in their
power now to induce settlers to take ad-
vantage of the low rates. So YOU see,
though this war entails heavy loss upon
US, there is bright side to it, even from a
railroad mans standpoint"
PACIFIC MAIL THREATS
On the subject of the threats of Pacific
Mail to cut the rates below the possibility
OF railroad competition, Colonel Crocker
diScoursed IN an amused way. He said
w hat is the use of talking about Pacific
Mail competition when freight is at 30 cents
per 100 pounds, and passenger rates to New
York about s25? Can any shipper be asked
10 ship by sea, or any passenger be ex-
pected to voyage by sea, when rail rates are
at those figures? 1t is most absurd.
Would any one make the sea VOYAGE and
trip across the lsthmus to save $25, if the
Pacific Mail carried them for nothing?
What the Pacific Mail is extending and
strengthening its line for is not for compe-
tition now that the war is raging, but to
take advantage of the situation when peace
shall be declared. and should Judge from
the recent action of Mr.. c. P. Huntington
that he is getting ready to battle with Pa
chic Mail on their own element should he
find it necessary to check their demands in
the next continental pool. Why at pres
ent railroad rates, shippers do not even
take the trouble to ask Pacific Mail to make
quotation. The clipper ships are all
driven out of the trade, and you may be
sure that steamers cannot compete"
WHO Is BEING HURT
In answer TO question about the relative
effect of the war Colonel Crocker said:
OF course the gross loss is greatest to the
lines bearing the greatest interest in the
pool-that is, the Southern Pacific Com
pany-but relatively the Southern Pacific
has gained great advantages We have not
only had an enormous increase of business.
but have had more than the proportion of
1T all than fell to us before the war To
give You an idea of the vast amount of gen.
eral merchandise we are taking from New
York, will tell you that our last steamers
left freight on the wharf they could not
handle, despite the fact that we are running
four steamers week from New York to
New Orleans of $500 tons capacity, or a
total of IA 900 tons of general freight per
week. Our facilities for handling freight
from steamer to car at New Orleans are
wonderful. 1t takes us lie S than four hours
to load and dispatch whole freight train.
But the time we make on the Sunset route
speaks for itself OF course all the freight
we take to New Orleans is not for Califor-
MIA. We carry for Texas, New Mexico,
Arizona, and so on"
THE CHINESE QUESTION.
We have been having quite time on
the anti-Chinese question here in your ab-
sence, and the heathens are to be boycot-
ttu- suSStsteu tHe reporter.
So | saw And let me tell you / read
the proceedings of that Convention with
the utmost interest" replied Colonel
Crocker. " was not much surprised. for
1t has been evident for long time that the
people of the State were not satisfied with
the Restriction Act and were of the opin-
ion that they would have to depend upon
themselves in the future feel sure that
the result of that Convention will be some
thing remarkable but it will be accom-
plished, in San Francisco at least, without
riot bloodshed or lawbreaking. | am
convinced now that McGlashen and the
other influential leaders will aiways be
found on the side of law and order, and
will do all in their power to restrain reck-
less people from committing overt acts I
have no fear now of riot or lawbreaking.
have the most implicit confidence in the
good sense and moderation of the men who
head this movement, though in the past |
have feared that troublewould come.n
REFoRMAroRY Prison FOR WoMEN-The