The record-union., 1892-12-05
THE MORGAN REPORT
What a san Francisco Journal Has
say Concerning il.


The following coneisely expressed and
evidently unprejudiced opinion is from
the san Francisco Nelcs Letter Of Satur-
day:
Colonel Richard p. Morgan q railroad en-
slL@ei, ana a gentleman OF vast exp riencu IN
an tLaJ pertains TO the construction. Cd erii-
tlOn ana maintenance OF IaIIru;tlS. mas uaue
a report upon the steel hIgAMays OF California,
itL me request u The STATE Board oil IaurUad
commissioners. tie came here "a stranger to
tue commission, an to the railroad COM
panles. with MS record behind INN ana the
strongest recommendations WnlC h a recog. NJ
non OF the a4ICSt raIlrUau men Of TINS ana
at all the meetings OF the CommiSs on mas
been that OF an Honest and able man. He
went 10 work unoste niatiously, performed lie
uutl5s required OF AlluI ana quietly hanGtO IN
ms report. IurGGgIGuJ the Jrlaj Of the l.. g.
ShlNely case agunst the southern Pacific
company IL was q noticeable tlci that tue
EE!htiH fought hard to have Colonel Nor
sdi report ihtrodcceo as evidence and the
defendant company objected to II. Il lna ior4ty
OF the commission also OppOs ug It's iuttUlUc-
ION Inc neeu oI emDOuNin- lnc report in
the annual report OF the RAILROAD tlOnunIs-
sion, SO as 10 stcdIe to Colonel Morgan from
the next Legislature the sum Of money wlIch
IL was agreed he should be paid for his work.
Is the sole reason lOr the iHtlO1uctiou ana
presentation ct the report ia tlc mIust OF the
proceedings IN the case referred to. Now the
report has been introduced, and made com
mon property for pl3lnJiH ana Gctcnuuut 1t
has proved dlEagreeabe surprise; 1t las up
set many opinions bas "a OF y pular Ur,itllt tc,.
ana their iailacy has been exposed il the lgnt
OF Hlparildi judgment. lie document Is Il
Well-Wrltten, scholarly report. Its argument
throughout IS Splvndidly juuitiul. ILe
facts have been arranged by a
master iIpnd, and rue conclusions
have been spassIonateIy drawn. These VINO
have attacked the report have resorjed only
10 general abuse. None OF the statements OF
fact have been assailcd When Colonel AI0r-
s.t he 4 rs
which presents tn" greatest engineering diff
ncultleS, and compares it with the Central
racine, the san ranciscO ana North Pacific
anu the norm racine COd~t, and by profile
maps and figures, by geological data shows
mat the grades on the California roads are
tNcnty-one times greater and the horizontal
Pennsylvania Central, there is no Onv 10 gam
say the facts. When i;e asserts That no traslit.
arises on 20 Per cent. OF the mileage OF this
State, and that on Eastern roads lLe C"Ouol.llc
conditions are such that the States absolutely
invite the construction Of railroads from the
evident prOht III their operation, no attcln pt
IS made 10 disprove the assertion. When
Coipnei Morgan demonstrates thar of the
tultiCcn states the population Of California
mas increased l. s. than any in the past twenty
years, ana quotes figures which show thar our
population has increased but 4.O3 per ceut.
IN ihc score Ot years, While Massachusetts, mas
increased 20, Pennsylvania 30 and New
Ork 2 = he IS presenting food 1Or discussion.
ana uSureS which, II Incorrect. can be
promptly challenged When on the top of all
these facts, and Independently of all The en-
Slneellug ulHcuIties, the additional cost OF
operation and the sparse population. he quotes
rates which show CatilO MA railroads carry
both freight and paSSenSlr rs at less rates q
mile, or a ton mile. than do tie railroads of
Illinois, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, ne
IS justined in saying: 81 am convinced and
believe that the rates charged by the railroad
companies Of California Tor the trans pOrta-
uon OF persons ana property are not as IL
whole unreasonably high. ana that ii they
are, then the rates for railroad trunsportatl. N
on the roads and systems OF roads through
out the United States have been ana now are
also, as Il whole, unrea5onably high"