The morning call., 1892-08-21
WANTED-A LOCAL SYSTEM OF RAIL
ROADS.

What a grand affair il would be If con-
Yention could be assembled with representa-
tives from every county and important
town in the State to devise measures TO re-
ileye ourselves from the injuries which are
being inflicted upon every important indus
try in California. Such a convention could
not fail u effecting important results, for ii
would convince our railroad managers that
they could not pit one portion of the State
against another in order 10 control our
politics and to enrich themselves further
at the expense of all. Communities are
slow to move; they prefer to suffer rather
than to try untrOdden paths but we shall
have to wait only certain length OF time.
for the abuses practiced by the managers
Of the Central and Southern Pacific rail-
roads are too great TO be borne by an in
teliigent people indefinitely. In an article
published IN THE CALL on Saturday we
predicted that our citizens could only OBJ
tain full relief by owning the railroads Of the
State-nut by paving more tribute to Stan
ford and HuntiDgton-but by building and
owning railroads. Ii THE CALL were con-
suited il would say once for all: assemble
in convention and devise a plan by which
every county and town in the State would
be benefited. Then ask each county TO
could be regulated according to population.
We would have the counties and cities act
ually own the raIlroads-not raise money to
donate to individuals, nor loan It TO CON-
panies to Cypress us. Il would be a small
matter f-r the 81 counties in the State and
the large cities TO raise sufficient money to
construct all of the railroads required in
California. With such a proposition car
RED out successfully The State would re-
ceive new life. Every industry would feel
the impulse. Population would flow here, and
our waste lands would be improved. And
as for our cities, they would all be benefited,
for various industries would be encouraged.
And what OF San Francisco, Oakland, Los
Angeles and San Diego These cities
would thrive, for hundreds of manufac-
tories would be established, and their popu-
laton would be doubled in a few years. 1t
is the belief Of THE CALL that Califor-
MA VIII ultimately be compelled to act in
accordance with tie suggestions here thrown
out, and that the four cities named will
speedily become great and important GEN.
ters Of business. And as for San Francisco.
with such q movement carried out, it is our
belief that there are persons now living
here who would see a million Inhabitants
within the limits which nature marked out
for us.
OF course the railroads the State should
build are such as may be operated entirely
within the State. Such system will serve
to afford cheap transportation between in
terror towns and cities as well as between
San Francis co and tho interior. No present
terminal point should be deprived of its IA
ciiities. They will continue to receive
goods as before from transcon tinental rail-
roads. The Central Pacific and the new
Salt Lake Railroad. when completed. will
bring goods direct TO Sacramento, Stockton
or other city which now is or may be made
a terminal point Merchants then could
choose between competing points for the
purchase of goods. They would come to
San Francisco when they could do better in
San Francisco than in other cities Such
convention az we have suggested would con-
siitute an epoch In the history of this State.
ANY political convention held since the
war would sink into insiguifcance when
compared to Ii.