The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-03-29

heading, comments upon the RECORD
UNIONS criticism of the reasons for loss
of trade to San Francisco, and says:
It says truly that before the Central Pacific
Railroad was finished all commodities came
through the Golden Gate and were distrib-
uted from San Francisco. There were minor
distributing points in the interior, but all
these got their supplies from the metropolis.
Soon after the railroad was finished these
minor distributing points got their goods
direct from the East. Their merchants could
trade with Eastern manufacturers ana I'M
porters on the same terms as the San Fran
cisco merchant. Consequently San francisco
lost part of the trade it had once possessed.
The RECoRD-UNIoN represents san Francisco
as complaining because of this loss Of trade
The Call adds that San Francisco does
not complain because goods are laid
down in interior competing points as
cheaply as in San Francisco, nor because
railway rates are less between trading
point and the interior distributing station
than to San Francisco. when the latter
city is the most distant. In this state
ment the Call simply demonstrates that
it is not qualified to speak for San Fran
cisco. That city has complained and
does complain because there are interior
distributing points recognized as terminal
or through points. San Francisco has not
only complained of the situation, which
is a natural one, and the result of wise,
economic and unvarying commercial
laws, but the metropolitan merchants
have more than once petitioned carriers
by rail to arbitrarily break down these
interior competing stations and by abro-
eating all the terminals and through
point facilities, except for San Francisco,
compel all the interior to come to that
city for supplies and TO rely upon her as
the one only distributing center. 1t is
one of the chief aims behind the agitation
of the present in San Francisco; it is the
hope that still inspires the merchant
class that San Francisco may become the
dictator of distribution.
The CulL insists that what San Fran
cisco does complain of is combinations
of railways with steamship lines that re-
suit in depriving San Francisco of its adj
faAldGeS Dis d S6dpOIl. Ii san Il IdnClSCO
had a tenth part of the energy, farseeing
and Observation-Disclosures of Melbourne or
Liverpool, or any one of dozen great
ports that we might name, it would never
permit a purblind press to confess for it
that any combination operating upon the
the free high seas could deprive it of its
natural advantages. If San Francisco
chooses to own her own steamship carry
ing lines by water there is no power
on earth to prevent her doing so.
The CalE notes our suggestion that if
San Francisco does this new standard
of overland freight rates will of necessity
follow, since land and sea carriage always
must compete. There is no treason or
crime in stating that automatic principle,
and there is nothing in its iteration to
justify the snarl that existing lines do
not serve San Francisco at the prices she
thinks should obtain.
The Cali continuing, adds, that if San
francisco attempts to establish transpor-
tation lines by sea, owned as in the case of
Melbourne by the transporters, the mer-
chants of San Francisco, they will be
met by ruinous competition on the part
OF the railways. Just how competition
that it is supposed will bring about pre-
cisely what the Call insists is needed,
squares with the Cats logic, we do not
undertake to explain.
We repeat, that if San Francisco es-
tablishes in her own ownership sea trans
portation lines, bringing freight in by
the sea cheaper than can be done by land
transportation, it will greatly augment
San Francisco's commercial importance;
and in the very nature of things will
bring about the establishment of a new
standard of freight rates for transconti-
mental roads, or else those roads will suf-
fer the loss of the trade. Just what there
is in that statement that can be chal-
lenged as untrue or unsound passes I'M
Outstanding. Nor is there any doubt
whatever of that other truth, that the ex-
perience of land and water carriage in
competition in the West proves that the
great bulk of the traffic will go by rail to
best advantage, and that the future of
such competition must be settled in
favor of the latter.
SUFFRAGE AND ILLTTERACY.
The San Francisco Chronicle insists that