The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-28
ALONG THE RAIL.
Commencing Work ON the Santa
Margarita-ElwOOd Gap.

The projectors of the Coast line road have
concluded their duties in the matter of in
ducing the Southern Pacific Company to
close the gap between Santa Mdrgarita and
Elwood, and are quietly resting on their
arms. K. +. Jack, Il member of the EXIen-
sion Committee, was in this city recently,
and in an interview with president
Or, cker was assured that the company
would commence construction as soon as
right-of-way matters could be settled,
which, according to those in position TO
know, are not difficult or liable to cause any
long continued delay. Subscriptions amount
ing to about $4,000 have been collected,
and two or three condemnation suits
necessary to complete the gap in the
right-of-way route are all that stand
in the way of immediate work.
OF the outlook at present a San Luis
Obispo paper OF recent date says: The
Railroad Committee has at last reached
point where it is compelled to take an en-
forced rest. The number of missing parcels
of right of way has been reduced to eighteen
and though there are half dozen of these
that might possibly be secured in a few
months more OF persistent correspondence,
the committee proposes to waste no more
effort in that direction. Carefully prepared
maps of each parcel, with an abstract of
title of each, have been prepared, and have
been sent to the offices of the Southern Pa
cifc Company, and 1t is understood that the
department is at work preparing the CON-
plants for condemnation, and very shortly
this community will have the pleasure of
seeing the report of the filing of the papers
in our Superior Court in all these cases.
The joint agency scheme is again being
discussed among Eastern managers. 1t has
had rest OF several months, but crops up
again with fresh recommendations, and far
seeing railroad men here think that six
months will see an agency of this character
fairly under way in San Francisco. The
Wall-Street News, commenting on this pro-
ject, says: Progress in this direction will
be very slow, Tor no company will consent to
go into an agreement Of this kind until the
assurances of fair treatment are made
dOubly strong. Every one knows that
no two companies have equal faeili-
ties, and the weaker lines will
hesitate to submit their chances for
business to an organization in which they
are the weakest members, or to permit their
business to be handled by joint agent,
whose loyalty must necessarily be most
pronounced when the business of the
stronger lines is to be handled. An enor-
nous amount of money might be saved to
the railroads, and the public equally we'll
accommodated if thorough system of Joint
agencies in cities served by competing lines
could be organized. The committee of
the Transcontinental Association, however,
ought certainly to be able to suggest plan
of experiment tina. could be tried and pos
sbly carried out.
Rate-cutting is being extensively done
among the local agencies along Montgomery
street, and within two weeks it is fair to
presume that the agents will awake to their
old tricks and devious ways from lethargy
extending over a period of several months.
A certain Office on Montgomery street an
nounees that ON and after Wednesday the
rate to Chicago will be mangled to the tune
of So, and the declaration has not caused
much surprise. as the scheme has been
practieed pretty generally for two or three
weeks. though strictly on the quiet. There