The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-02-02
GLASS LEGIsLATInN

Angeles Terminal Railroad and also the
Southern California Railroad, compared
the costs of building and maintaining
railroads in this State and some of the
Middle States of the country, and also
| compared the result of class legislation of
the nature of this bin i'll the same States.
During the time class legislation was in
effect against the railroads in the Middle
States railroad building and extensions
decreased annually. The people of these
States saw the evil result OF class legisla-
ton and repealed the laws. Immediately
after the repeal of such laws railroad
building and extensions again began to
boom. In the State of Iowa, in 1876, while
this class law was in effect only eighty
seven miles of railroad were built, while
III 1879, two years after the repeal of such
law, 81 miles were built. This is q
wrong time, right on the eve of the
Worlds Fair, to adopt such law. For
the last six or seven years the railroads
In Southern California have built many
new miles of railroad and have helped
10 ueVeicp the country. In case this law
is adopted railroad extension must be
stopped and none Of them will ever reach
san rancIsco, although some of them
may wait to.
THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC.
D. c. Martin, representing the Southern
Racine Company, said it would take him
considerable time 20 present his argu-
ments to SHOW the iallacies of the bill be-
tore tie committee which proposes a COLI
ssltutlonal amendment to regulate fares
and freights.
1T is not the desire of the Southern
racine Company" said Mr.. Martin, Ito
be heard by its counsel before this COM
mlttee. 1t is its purpose to present to the
committee truthful statement of the
present condition of affairs. In present
ing to the committee the facts concerning
their operations and earnings / take the
| Judgment of the committee as to whether
thls Dill or resolution should pass or not,
ana, with your permission, for better
understanding of the witnesses who Will
be produced to give an outline at this
ilhe OF what the Southern Pacific Conf
pahy intends TO show. And yet, before
mat, II ! can be Of some service to this
committee i'll pointing out what ! consid-
er to be grave defects in this bill, both in
its principle and its wording, l shall be
satisfied.
I'm the first place | desire to say that
any criticism that has been or NAV be
made on this bill or the principles in
VOWED IS not attributable, according to
our understanding, TO the honorable
senator nom Napa who stands sponsor
! Tor IL III the Senate. The bill was not
drawn by him, but has been drawn by
| others, and he has presented it possibly
! without thought or time TO investigate
the matter that he himself would like
to have before becoming entirely re-
sponsible for measure of this
character. 1t is of the first and
highest Importance that every law that
affects great number of people and
great interests should be so carefully and
plainly drawn that it may, III the first
place, express the intent Of the I.eeisla-
tnre, ana may, in the second place, be
readily interpreted and understood by
those TO whom 1t IS intended 10 apply
This bill does not do so. That it has not
received the attention that a measure of
this Importance should receive has been
demonstrated by the numerous amend
ments that have been suggested and pro-
posed III the short time that this measure
mas been before the COMMITTEES. This is a
bill of the Traffic Association of San
Francisco, drawn, l presume, by their
manager, attorney, or their Legislative
| Committee.
The Traffic Association is an organiza-
ton of merchants and gentlemen of San
FRANCISCO, as We understand it, whose
names are not given to the public, but
who believe that the profits OF their bust
ness are too small and should be in
creased, and that the profits of the rail-
road are too great and should be dimin-
ished. presume that is the principal on
which they are organized. AS yDu know,
| they have an Executive Committee.
whose names are given to the public,
honorable and respected merchants Of
San Francisco, and they have a Legislat-
i've Committee, whose duty is. l SUPPOSE
to draw laws, and that committee has
arbitrarily drawn up this law.
| wv hen the matter OF legislation was
first presented to the public by the
| Traffic Association, and l speak now of
matter which is common knowledge to
an OF you, the plans and purposes of leg
| lSlatlon were disclosed in what was
called the Traffic Associations pledge
which was sent out to all candidates for
the Legislature of all parties, with hint
OF support in case that pledge should be
signed, and with suggestion of oppesi-
ton TO anyone who should refuse to sign
it i'll writing. That pledge, Mr., Chair
man, as you know, for L presume you
received a copy of il, called for legisla-
tive proposition entirely different from
tins one. There is no similarity between
the legislation proposed in that pledge
and the legislation as represented in this
| resolution first before this committee.
and SO strong was the demand made by
the Traffic Association of the gentlemen
who were candidates for the Legislature
that, II l recolect right, and if | am
wrong you will correct me, Mr.. Chair
man, the signers pledged themselves not
TO adjourn until the particular plan out
lined in the pledge should be, l believe
successfully accomplished, or at ali
events they should not vote to adjourn
until something was done in the prem
| iSes.
'Ine legislation outlined at the time of
the resolution to amend the Constitution
was first presented here was entirely diff
| ierent from that outlined in the pledge.
and while that resolution has been before
| this committee it has been subject at least
| To two CHANCES Inv Tho - .
measure. We have a committee substi-
tute for the original bill, so-called and
we have pencil memoranda and amend
ments to the committee substitute-at
| least one such amendment, possibly
more. l remember but one. This COM
mittee substitute changed the plan of the
| original bill in this: An attempt was made
TO divide the roads into two classes, those
whose gross earnings exceeded $4,000 per
mile and those whose gross earnings were
| 81, 900 or less a mile. Those whose earn
ings exceeded $4,000 were to be subjected
or the bill subjected, to certain Limitation
| in maximum rates on freights and fares
and those whose gross earnings are 81. 900
or less were not to be subjected to that
constitutional limitation.
NOW Constitution, was said last
night by Mr.. Johnson in his able and in
! tefesting address, is a declaration of prin-
ciples, and is binding on the people and
OF course on inc Legislature OF the state,
and is supposed to last for all time. Ii is
difficult to amend; it may be amended,
but it is supposed to be so skillfully and
| perfectly drawn that it will meet ali con-
ditons that now exist or that can reason
ably be anticipated" Mr.. Martin then
called attention to the proposed insertion
of the words ''as shown by the thirteenth
annual report of the Railroad Commits
sionefs of the State of California; after
the word ''mile' on tho seventeenth line
second page, of the substitute before tho
| committee. making that report tie raier-