The record-union., 1892-04-07
FACE TO FACE.
Position of the Railroad Commission
ers and Traffic Association.
fSan lose Mercury Anril 3 !

Position of the Railroad Commission
ers and Traffic Association.
[San Jose Mercury, April 81
In our local columns this morning will
be found full report of the proceedings
of the Railroad Commission yesterday,
and copy of the communication SUBJ
mitted by Mr.. Rea to be sent to the Ex-
ecutive Committee of the Traffic Associa-
ton. This communication brings the
Railroad Commission and the Traffic
Association face to face. The wordy Mr..
Leeds is ignored, and the Traffic Associa-
ton is courteously requested to come be-
fore the commission and explain candidly
! and fairly its objects and purposes. Mr..
Rea points out that the Railroad Commits
sion is ready to proceed with thor ough
and general Investigation of transporta-
ton rates. and to make such a sweeping
and comprehensive revision of the traffic
schedules as may be required in justice
to all of the industries and localities of
California, whenever the machinery for
its action is set in motion by or on behalf
Of the Traffic Association. 1t is not will
ing, however, to act in behalf of San
Francisco alone, and to take steps preju-
diclal to the interests of other portions of
the State. 1t has been brought TO the at
tention of the commission that the MEM
berShip of the Executive Committee of
the association is drawn mainly from the
that the interior terminal points have but
n perfunctory representation upon it.
Under these circumstances the people, and
particularly the merchants, of these ter
minal points claim that the object of the
| association is to bring about a return to
the conditions that formerly prevailed
when San francisco was the only termI-
nal point in the State, and when the rail-
road companies were able to wiring
double and treble freight charges from
the tradeSmen OF interior cities, thus
placing them at the mercy of the whole
sale merchants of the metropolis. With
this statement of the case the Traffic
Association cannot in justice find fault,
nor can it reasonably expect the COM
mission to do otherwise than to follow
the policy here laid down. If now the
! association aims only at a fair and honest
purpose, it will accept the communication
in the spirit in which il is made, and will
in due form and according to the mode
prescribed by the commission aid in the
work of revising our traffic schedules.
If it is not fair, then the sooner the fact is
made known to the general public the
better. There can be no further evasion
of the issue, and we are glad to note that
Mr.. Rea has announced his intention of
Investigating the matter fully, even if in
order to do so the commission finds it
necessary to subpoena every member of
y
transportation companies that is likely to
have any information of importance on
the subject to give.
In the able paper Mr.. Rea has placed
the Railroad Commission fairly before
the people in an attitude that fully reveals
its usefulness to the State. 1t stands as
power to protect the interior cities from
the extortions both of the San Francisco
merchants and of the transportation COM
panieS. In former times, as Mr.. Rea
says, the San Francisco merchants and
the railroads had entire control of the
commerce of the State, and by special
contracts and other similar arrangements
they held the merchants of the interior
wholly in their power. The commission
does not intend to be used as a tool of the
association to bring about such condi-
ton of affairs, but IS perfectly willing to
act for the benefit Of the whole State and
to revise the traffic schedules throughout
whenever the proper complaints are
made in the way that the commission has
already pointed out. In the position thus
taken the commission viii find the heart
lest support from the State at large. The
Traffic Association is therefore face to
face with an issue that it cannot evade,
and where the defamation of Mr.. Leeds
will avail nothing. 1t is worth noting
that during the discussion of the subject
Mr.. Rea stated that he would like to
IhdAe d teIIiliid4 poIHt Vi every Town OF
1900 inhabitants in the State. Such
policy would have most healthful ten
dency in building up all local centers,
and since the Railroad Commission was
appointed to act not for San Francisco
alone, but for the whole State, it is evil
dent that in this controversy, where the
two antagonists stand face to face, it is
the face Of the commission that is turned
in the right direction. ana is looking
straight forward along the path Of equal
justice and universal prosperity.