The morning call., 1892-07-13
FOR LOCAL COMPETITION.
1t Is Shameful That the TM Great val
leYs Have hnt One Knah.

1t Is Shameful That the Two Great VAL
Ieys Have but One Road.
II can't for the life of me see why the
Southern Pacif should stand in its own
Hight so. They are not even wise enough 10
make all they can out of their monopoly.
The speaker was Thomas Magee, the
real estate man, who las just returned from
nm Eastern trip A CALL reporter had in
vited him to give expression to his views ON
the railroad situation.
You can't pick up a Denver. Colorado
Springs or Salt Lake City paper without
seeing dozen new excursion rates TO local
points staring you in the face. The same IS
true as TO overland points.
"f on read in the Denver papers OF cheap
excursions 10 Chicago and New York. The
roads vie with each other to see which can
get the most business in every direction.
Il am satisfied there is no more philan-
thropy or virtue in the managers OF The
Eastern roads than in those of the Southern
Pacific, but they have competition and COM
petition means low rates.
There is scarcely day In the week
when tile newspapers Of these places do not
announce some cheap excursion TO one OF
the local points. Buy a Denver paper and
see for yourself.
by these cheap excursion rates pRssen-
gers are carried for cent mile. Imagine
one going TO San Jose for 90 cents or Sac
ramentO for 81 cents.
Now, L don't say that railroads ought to
carry passengers for ! cent a mile at all
times; but l do say the Southern Pacific
would reap ample harvests by running oe-
casional excursions at such rates. Thou
sands Of people would travel then where
scores travel now.
Except on the Fourth of July, I have no
remembrance Of the Southern Pacific ever
giving a cheap excursion rate anywhere,
though they stand IN their OWN light by not
doing so.
"Of course, the only thing that will force
low rates here is competition. That Is the
force which has done so much for the East
ern cities. and it is the only one that will
relieve California from tue monopoly taIiffS
of the Southern Pacific.
But in my opinion, while fully appre-
ciate the need for an overland road, j be-
leve we need railroad competition in the
San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys even
more.
''How absurd it is that the Sacramento
Valley should be trayersed by but single
railIoadl
''Why, there are II railroads running into
Denver, and where is there n country trlb-
utaTy TO Denver 10 equal the Sacramento
Valley?
''DO you know that s5 per cent of the rail-
roads profits comes from local tariffs? That
Is fact.
What we need most is local competition.
1t is all a big burlesque TO have one railroad
doing all the business for the TWO great
valleys of California.
Il am convinced that San FranciscO's
first need is competing line to Los Angeles.
Let Us take Santa Fe bonds enough TO en-
able that road to build into San Francisco,
or build the road ourselves.
'By connecting with that southern road
we would be killing two birds with one
stone. We would open up local and over
land competition at once.
However, there is no doubt that we need
competition. and that badly, and | am sure
the public will welcome il from whatever
source it comes.
And, as The CALL says. the purchase of
bonds for competing road will be an alb
solutelY safe Investment -