The morning call., 1892-03-27
.SiXt0ol-PagG Edition.
THINGS THAT NAY HAPPEN.

The Sacramento Record Union tells its
readers how trade has been taken from San
Francisco, giving the railroad view Of the
case Il says truly shat before the Central
Pacific Railroad was finished all c0mm0di-
ties came through the Golden Gate and
were distributed from San Francisco. There
were minor distributing points in the inte-
TiCT. but all these got their supplies from
the metropolis. Soon after the railroad
vas finished these minor distributing points
got their goods direct from the East. Their
merchants could trade with Eastern manu-
facturers and importers Oh the same terms
as the San Francisco merchant. Conse.
quently San Francisco lost a part OF the
trade it had once possessed. The Record
Union represents San Francisco as CON-
planning because Of this loss of trade. Ia
that the railroad apologist is greatly in
error. San Francisco finds no fault because
goods are laid down as cheapIy in Los Angeles
rs in San Francisco. or because local rates
TO points nearer to Los Angeles than to San
Francisco are less from the latter city than
from the former. The interior cities are
entitled to uniform rates and to all the
trade they can get in the enjoyment Of equal
privileges. But san francisco does COM
plain that by combination with the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company the Southern Pa
ciic has deuuved it Of its advantages as
seaport. By this combination freight rates
are made as high by sea as By land. The
natural advantage San Francisco should
enjoy a seaport is thus surrendered that
the railroad managers may exact high
freigbts from shippers both in San Fran
cisco and in interior cities. The railroad
company, having bought off the Pacific
Mail as a competitor, has taken both San
Francisco and interior cities by the throat
and charged all the traffic would bear. The
railroad organ now gives notice that if
san Francisco attempts to extrieate herself
from the clutches Of the Southern Pacific it
VIII be met by ruinous competition. It
says:
IL ii 1San Francisco can bring freight into the
State by tie sea route at cheaper rate than by
lard transportation can be done it will. to :hat
e1Ieui. be supreme, and It's commercial impor.
lance be accordingly augmented. But San Fran.
cisco has this difficulty confronting her, When
rates aye cheapened by competition rev
standard OF overland freight rates Is OF necessity
established, for the iranseontinenta roads must
meet the sea competition or lose the trade
Very good. Sea-trRnsportation companies
expect TO meet competition. But they ex-
pect that competition will give them as low
rates as distributing points along the North
ern Pacific possess. They expect that under
competition the city will recover the tea
trade. the coffee trade, the cotton trade and
other. branches Of trade the mereiless exac-
tons Of the Southern Pacific have driven
from the State. The shippers will be the
principal owners OF the sea-trans portation
routes, and il they do not make much profit
as common carriers they will find their
profit IN recovered territory. In truth, the
Southern Pacific is poRerless against a
united community. Il has had things its
own way because it has only mad individuals
to deaf with. In future it will have to deal
with combination Of interests Tie unholy
combination of the Southern Pacific Com
pany and the Pacific Mail has at least con-
WINGED cur people ot the efficacy of CON-
Iina+ion