The record-union., 1892-05-18

and bridges. But the shipper will not
and should not be required to pay a
penny more to have his freight hauled
over railroad that cost seventy-tive
thousand dollars per mile than he would
have to pay 10 have it hauled over one
that cost fifteen thousand dollars per
mile, provided both roads have the same
or equal terminals. I ct it is q fact that the
topography of this country is such that
producers in one part OF it must ship
over road that cost five times as much
as the other to get produce to market in
competition with producers in the vicin-
lty OF the market hauled over road that
cost the minimum price, and that state of
affairs must be fairly considered. The
owner OF the railway costing seyenty-tiye
thousand dollars per mile must pay as
much for locomotives, cars and opera
tives as the owner Of the road costing the
minimum, and in some respects must
pay more. He must pay as high rate
OF interest as the other and get no more
for hauling the same material. The price
OF produce and manufactured articles IS
fixed by the law of supply and demand;
no legislative enactmentS fix terms or
prices. No man charges the farmer with
asking less for his produce in San Fran
cisco than i'll Stockton or Sacramento.
Why is this left open? Why regulate
transportation charges? Why not nix
the price Of produce. That would not be
of it all? There must be some leveling
done.
The law is well settled that transporta-
| ton companies must provide the means
of conveyance at regular intervals, and Of
such capacity as will accommodate all
without delay. Steamers or trains Of cars
must traverse their entire route without
regard to whether there is actually any
| freight or not. Often they have loads one
way and none the other, yet the expense
is the same. They must return each trip.
If locality is such that they are always
loads both ways undoubtedly the earn
ings are larger than If loaded but one way.
In such instances the transportation COM
panies should, in fact, do the work for
less rate than Ifloaded but one way; but the
distance tariff says no-a mile is mile, a
ton is a ton. 1t is proverbial that the To-
calities having the least business or pro-
duce have the most to contend with. With
| less TO sell and less to buy, and with more
cost than anyone else, nothing is worse to
them than the penalty of a distance tariff.
! But the man close to market says it is I'M
| fair to haul freight further than his place
for the same money.
To the carrier. his investment is an en-
tirety. So many dollars builds and equips
so many miles of railroad or so many
boats. 1t takes so many dollars to conSti-
tute a profit. 1t is immaterial as to where
it is earned. But it makes a great differ
ence to the shipper.
Is not the solution OF it all dependent
upon the law Of supply and demand.
With artificial highways those points at
which the incoming and outgoing pro-
ducts can meet on the most favorable
terms should be placed upon the same
basis. Tariffs to and from those points
should be established, such tariffs to be
adjusted with a view to the character of
the traffic. Revise the classification Of
I 4
material OF the same nature and charac-
| teristics and make a carload the unit. 1t
is self-evident proposition that some of
| the terminal points will use and ship
more than others, and in many instances
! people will be required to pass one termi-
nal TO reach another that is profitable to
! them, and II so they Will go there because
| it pays them.
The manager of the Traffic Association,
! however, claims that the Board of Rail
road Commissioners should at once ar
range tariff with San Francisco at the
short end of all rates. The board, not
having the same view as he, have been
made the object of personal attack and
abuse. Fancy a lawyer going into
court and writing letter of general de-
ScriptiOn of a case, handing it to the
Judge and asking that a judgement there
tofore rendered shall be set aside because
the finding affected his client. This is
tllG SlIudIlO1 Will I0SpeCI 10 IDo 1raI1C
Manager. Instead of going over the stu
alton and if there are instances of objec-
tionable rates by reason of classification
or otherwise calling attention to them
and asking to have them corrected, ne
takes the position that the transportation
companies of the State are unwilling to
earn money and that the Commissioners
are aiding them in their suicidal efforts.
The trouble with the Traffic Associa-
| ton Is its manager. In their endeaYor to
! seek remedy for the present stagnation
| in trade, 1t is unfortunate that they were
| led to employ man whose opportuni-
| ties justified belief in his CAPACITY, but
whose record in fact shows his inability
to cope with the only matters with which
he has been intrusted. But his methods
in this State show his impracticability.
| He offers vituperation for argument; ac-
cuSeS officers of actions, which, If eStab-
| lished, would remove them from Office in
| disgrace; talks of revising the organic
| law of the State; and for a climax, he
suggests the injection of politics into
| business management. 1t is unfortunate
that the members of the Board of Com
miSsioners permitted their personal feel
ings to influence them to the extent Of
replying in kind to the managers abuse,
and it is hoped that there will not be a
repetition of it.
| The State of California, so far as the
| Railroad Commission is concerned, is a
sovereign body; and the miner in SiSki-
you or Inyo, as well as the merchant in
San Francisco, is to be considered in
| making rates for transportation COM
panies; and if the Commissioners or the
transportation companies make rates that
are injurious, any one interested can have
hearing and obtain redress.
When the manager OF the Traffic Asso-
citation charges that the Commissioners
are venal ana were elected for that rea-
] H. Il
with venality; and it he feels that way
he should remove himself from the
danger OF contamination at the earliest
possible moment. The man who adyo-
Gates rate of freight that will enable one
locality to have its material hauled by
the doors of four-ffths of the people of
the State to one point from which it shall
again be hauled back toward the original
starting point at a profit TO the dealer
therein, Is a man who is not working for
the benefit OF the people at large.
An association of citizens in this State
| might, by moderate expenditure, bring
about changes in the tariff by showing in
| what respect. if any, there should be i'm
provement, tor while those engaged in
the transportation business make il their
study, experience shows that they do not
always understand the true situation of
the shipper, and that considerable effort
| is sometimes necessary to convince them,
but intelligent action and specific details
will accomplish the desired end.
But is the condition of trade in San
Francisco the result of freight and pas
senger tariff?
In the first place, those who are COM
planning of the trade difficulties in par
ticular localities should take look over
the State at large and observe the enlarged
area of population and the shrinkage of
mineral products. Note how many mill
ions OF dollars of gold We're taken out
annually in former time, and note the