The morning call., 1893-07-08
WILL HELP THE PROJECT.
WHY Our Local Business Is
Diminishing.
SOME EARNEST INTERVIEWS.
A Demand for State Railroads and
Low Rates, Not a TranscOn-
tinental Line.

Traffic Manager Leeds was engaged yes
terday in making preparations for the
Joint meeting of the executive committee
of the Traffic Association and the board Of
control of the California League of Prog
ress to-day.
The plans for the new San Francisco,
Stockton and San Joaquin Railroad Will
be presented to those attending the meet
ing for q general discussion and revision.
II 1t be deemed necessary.
Mr.. Leeds says that the Traffic Associa-
ton is In this fight to win and the railroad
Is going to be built. The canvass for SUBJ
scriptions will begin the first of next week,
and it Is the intention to push the wo7k
forward as rapidly as possible.
Some opposition TO the new enterprise
has developed, but that was expected to
come. 1t is not from the men who are IN
terested in the upbulding Of San Fran
cisco, but those who are very close to the
company that is about to be confronted
with a strong and popular competitor.
THE CALLS presentation of the impor-
lance of railroad through the San Joa-
auin Valley has aroused the people not
only of the valley but of San Francisco to
the need of erasping the great opportunity
within their reach, and the Traffic Asso-
citation is in constant receipt Of encour.
aging words and. what is better, offers Of
subscriptions to the capital stock.
A CALL reporter spent a few hours
among the wholesale merchants yesterday.
ard be found only one sentiment regarding
the competing road. and that is strong
demand for its early construction. In
every case it was stated that the trade of
local jobbers can only be built up by lower
freight rates on home roads. and they are
ready to assist in securing them.
Mr.. Upham of Payot, Upham & Co.,
wholesale stationers, is very enthusiastic
over The new road and feels very conf
dent that it will be built. 10 discussing it
he said:
when the Traffic Association first pre-
scented the enterprise to the business men
OF the city a great many Of them declared
that while the road would be grand thing
for us the money could not be secured to
build it owing to the stringency in the
money market.
"There has been change in public
sen timent, however, and l believe that
there will be no trouble in securing the
subscriptions that will be needed from
this city. The towns in the valley will
not require much urging to furnish their
proportion. and if the work be pushed for
ward it. will not be many months until the
road is complete.
There is nothing that will benefit the
jobbers so much as competing line in the
San Joaquin Valley. where. at the present
time, our trade is gradually slipping away
hoao he irh lon, otoe ~
TRANSFORMATION. San Francisco is the nat
ural market for the valley. and little
effort on our part in securing this new road
will cause the return of the trade we have
lost.
1.-THE proposed road will be paying
investment, and will soon make enough
money to pay for itself. The North Amer
lean Navigation Company is an example of
what can be done when honest enterprises
enter paying fields. That enterprise has
only been in operation a short time. but it
has paid for itself in profits"
Neuberger, Refs q Co.. wholesale dry
goods, stated they were glad that there
seemed to be prospect for securing an.
other railroad. One member of the firm
said:
"San Francisco has been losing trade for
years, and it is almost 100 late now to re-
cover it. Our trade in the north is en-
tirely gone. and as the south is all we have
left, it certainly beh doves US to retain it.
Los Angeles enjoys very low rates and its
business men are reaching out for the
trade
IF the road be built in San Joaquin Val
ley 1t will cause roads to be built i'll other
dfrec tons. and all will prove feeders to
San Francisco. We can get along without
another transcon tinental line for the pres
ent, but we must find ways for reaching
the interior of the State. am sure that
the enterprise will be heartily supported
by the jobbers, and it ought TO receive the
aid of every one interested in the welfare
of the CITY,"
81 think it is splendid plan to build a
road from Stockton to Bakersfield said
/. S. Van Wrinkle. dealer in heavy hard
ware. ut will be the means of building
up that portion of the State through which
it passes. New towns will spring up aud
the population largely increase. The more
people we get into the State the more
goods will be required to supply them.
THE CALL has been doing great work
in building up an interest In this enter
prise, and the people have apparently been
awakened to the importance of the pro-
ject. 1t is being generally and favorably
discussed. and believe there will be nc
trouble In securing all of the subscriptions
to the capital stock that will be needed.
at does not mean the destruction of the
Southern Pacific, because there is plenty
of business for both roads tina. can be car.
ried much cheaper than at present charged
and at handsome profit We have been
losing our trade in the San Joaquin Val
ley and must do something to get it back. u
Mr.. Conger. manager for Whitman &
Barnes, dealers in agricultural implements
said:
UNLESS we get competing lines into the