The morning call., 1893-09-09
WHAT IS CALIFORNIA; NEED j?
Develop the San Joaquin Valley More People,
Industries and Manufactures

railroads that they should embark in them
as they would in bank stock or take a share
IN ownership of shipping. 1t should not
be left to one class.
Mr.. Robert Watt, first vice-president of
The Traffic Association, puts this point in
It's true light.
ut has become the habit here" he said,
TO think that the only people who could
build railroad are the Fourth and Town
Send streets men who are already In 1t.
That Is close corporation keeping strict
secrecy about its affairs as far as ii can,
and the people at large are entirely unae-
euStomed to investments OF that nature"
One may we'll ask what superior knowl-
edge the small host of Sacramento traders
had for railroad building at Ihe commence
ment? What qualifications had they which
the commOnest men have not?
Propertied Interests.
Mr.. Watt has also this TO say plainly:
'The prOpertied Interests of San Fran
cisco have been accustomed 10 look to the
merchants altogether TO undertake any
enterprises of Il public nature. But after
the experiences of the last few years by
reason of the development of railroads
elsewhere and consequent loss of business
to San Francisco, as 1t was conducted on
old lines, the merchants have had such a
hard tine of it that they are really unable
to undertake these schemes by themselves.
They have enough to do TO undertake the
protection of their own interests. And it
comes TO this that the whole community is
bound up together and should help in these
enterprises. 1t Is the prOpertied interests
which should take the lead now. The
real-estate men are really more Interested
than are the merchants in the success of
such schemes, and the building up of the
wealth of the city and increase OF pOpula-
tiOn. The jObber in merchandise, if he is
not succeeding well, can very soon turn
his goods into money and go TO Chicago or
elsewhere permanently, as some people
here are doing or contemplate doing, but
it is not so easy for the Teal-estate man to
sell his property and get away. He can
not afford to let 1t run down in value. He
is compelled to stay and make the best of
the situation, and he is deeply intereste
in seeing the community thrive and go on
expanding"
l interposed the remark that the real
estate men may plead. as assuredly they
could recently, that they cannot get money
advanced on their property.
Transportation.
To this j. 5. Leeds replied: 1T will be
less easy In the future than in the past
unless the transportation difficulties are
overcome. One thing has not been ex-
plotted as it ought 10 be. We are behind
altogether in the distribution of popula-
tion. The census gives California mil
lion and quarter population. 1t may be
over that. Within radius of ten miles of
the heart of San Francisco there are over
10000 Of that population. Now, l think
1t would be good thing, for the property
owner especially, to understand that we
have got too large a DEVELOPMENT of town
dwellers in proportion TO the development
OF the outlying country 10 support so
much city, and that in order to make
progress in this outlying country some
thing more has got to be done than has
been in recent wears"
The San Joaquin Valley Railroad
would be a step in that progress 2"
Yes, and the reason why / say 1t is
this. Ar0ad up the San Joaquin Valley
would reduce the local rates. 1t is the
local rates which are the great burden, the
key 10 the whole situation in California
That road would reduce the local rate by
at least 40 to 80 per cent. People would
then be able TO make living In the valley
and large numbers of people would grav-
tate or flow into it as settlers, and produce
a vast amount more out of the soil and
industries than is now done. That would
put money in the pOcketa of producers
and citizens of the San Joaquin Valley. 1t
would save a million or a million and a
half year that they now pay out in excess
siye rates for transportation. The railroad
would, in fact, fill up and build up that
valley to very large extent"
Wheat and Fruit.
''The valley produces wheat and fruit,
and wheat is now selling at little more
than 81 a GENITAL. What is the prospect
otherwise for an increasing population ?''
'The valley will not develop If you pay
so to 90 per cent more for transportation
than you ought to do. If you save dollar
q ton on $780, 900 or 100000 tons Of wheat
you have got that much more in pocket
which you would not have By paying il
out in freight"
But there is more than agriculture in
the valey?"
There is an unlimited supply OF good
timber on the western slopes of the Sierras.
which can be brought down into the val
ley whenever there is any call for il.
When there is transportation, use will be
found for many materials. There are
granite quarries. The granite of many
buildings in San Francisco. such as the
Savings Union, the Mutual Insurance
building on SansOme and California, the
Union Trust building on the old Hibernia
Bank site and Others--most of that comes
from Raymond. Fresno County. There is
an unlimited supply of splendid granite
there. There are also in the valley slate
quarries and abundance of marble.
think the marble for the Palace Hotel
came from Tuolumue County. Woolen
manufactures can be carried N at Merced." "
Great Resources.
Mr.. Watt is also believer IN the great
resources of this region apart from agrcul-
ture. "The San Joaquin people," he re-
marked, may not grow fruit and wheat
all the time. With the development OF
irrigation they may have the land produc-
ing alfalfa everywhere, and they can raise
cattle and hogs and keep their money at
home. They have had wooden manufac-
lures at Merced Falls, but l think the
mills were burned down the other day.
Woolen manufactures have not been a
success here lately"
"a competing railroad should certainly
give manufacturers footing?"
Mr.. Leeds-We have no local tariff IL
the State of California that holds out any
encouragement to he establishments of
manufactures anywhere, because no low
distributing rates are made by the ra il
roads A road in the vallev would have
a natural interest In building up every
manufacturing establishment at any place
on the line that would feed it with bus-
ness. The railroad could have no other in
terest to serve. Whatever is possible in
California 10 manufacture in any line with
any profit it would be to the interest of the
railroad TO build up.
This is clear and straightforward logic
on which an enterpri5ing community can
olv, ft, Il,,E H1tf