The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-06-25
100 TRANSPARENT

A San Francisco newspaper cOutempO-
rary, which seldom loses an opportunity to
try and discourage the Efforts which are
being made 10 relieve cur citizens from the
oppressive burdens which are opposed
upon them 10y the railroad company, pub
fishes the following editorial paragraph in
relation 10 competing lines:
ANY body OF men seriously in earnest about
building a competing railroad can very easily
ascertain whether there is any danger OF u
Francisco beiuE suddenly furnished with tOO
many ccmTeJiDg lines Of railway. As matter
Of fact most Of the alleged competing lines,
While net Of a very substantial character, are
lot mere fgmeuls Of tie Imagination. They are
projects u q more OF less reliable nature, III
spiIed rs tie talk that a competing line is a
great necessity and Is generally demanded, but
unfortunately Tie projectors, when they have
money Of their own 10 eXpend IN pushing a rail-
road enterprise, do not seem disposed TO use II
ID that way, aud the others who have no money
eau fnd DO one with capital 10 back their IDEAS.
Tie object Of the above paragraph seems
10 be 90 discourage the building Of more
railroads. In plain English The paper to
which reference is ma de might as well have
said thatoUT projectors Of railroads who have
money are unwilling To invest it in pushing
such enterprises. The same paper a few
months ago when our merchants organized
ID order to procure schedule Of freight rates
from the Southern Pacific Railroad Com
pany which would enable them to transact
business and live, undertook TO discourage
the movement by saying that the interior Of
the State would not be benefited thereby
but that it was a selfish scheme designed
solely 10 benefit San Francisco. Without
reference further 10 the efforts Of our con-
temporary to play into the hands Of the
monopoly THE CALL wishes to direct at
tentiOn TO the way in which railroads are
built in the United States. Men do not now
as a rule use much Of their own money for
such a purpose, but organize companies
and issue bonds to build the roads. They
obtain subsidies from the public-money
subsidies, toWnsite subsidies, etc. Then
they issue bonds 10 about double the cost
Of the road and pocket the surplus. Nor
is this all. There is usually a class Of
men fastened upon the road who absorb
money in every possible way. Our Central
and Southern Pacific manipQlatOrs are no
exception 10 the general rule. They went
to work without much money and sucked
the substance cut of everything they came
III contact with. They got subsidies from
the General Government Of bonds and lands,
from towns they obtained subsidies. They
got sections Of land wherever a town could
be built up and sold it out piecemeal. Rail-
roads have laiteTly been loaded down with
debts TO an extraordinary extent, debts Of
which we have a sample in the Central and
Southern Pacific railroads. THE CALL de-
s!Tes e draw particular attention 10 the cir
cumstance that comparatively small
amount Of money viii build railroad at
the present line II honest business men are
at the head Of such an enterprise. and that
most Of the money can be raised upon the
issue Of bonds We may be told that rail
roads cannot be built in California unless
we turn the business over TO men who have
managed to make the roads which they
claim to own cost fabulous prices, but there
is nothing IN it.