The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-01
STOCKTON AND BAKER

The prospects of pushing forward the
Stockton and Bakersfield Railway are
bright and assuring. 1t is project en-
bodying nothing wild or visionary. The
traffic is in sight which will make it pay a
fair and Increasing return on every dollar
invested the moment it is constructed.
The line Itself is one of the best and cheap
est that the engineer is ever called upon TO
construct, aS II runs through fiat and
fertile country without any physical i'm
psdiment worthy of the name. Estimates
honestly calculated aud contracts carefully
looked after cannot be exceeded, for there
&c n SURPRISES of tops graphical charac-
ter on such route. Very little dynamite
will be needed in track-gradng. as would
be the ease in Zigzagging across mountains.
Furthermore the people Of the San Joa-
GUN Valley are anxious to see the road
constructed. To them it means an in-
creased value for their lands. an inpour Of
settlers who will occupy more land and
develop industries. lowering of transport
tation rates TO the point which will stimu-
late business and let it thrive. The wheat
raiser viii take an opportunity TO reach
deep water with his crop and have an en-
coaraging percentage left for his TOLL The
Fresno raisin-curer also will profit by rates
so reasonabi that it will be bis own fault
II he does not get into the home and for
efgn market on terms which other coun-
tries cannot undersell AL this is TO be
effected without necrOmancy or financial
jeEglery. IL is the simple eXpedlent of
building a railroad in the interest of Cali
fornia itself aud the business it will bring,
diesegardiBg the Speculations of the stock
market. and only attending to the legiti-
mate affairs of tran sportation. A road so
managed. d carrying no load of debt, as
does the Southern Pacific. swollen with
watered capitalization, can handle freight
at the lowest fraction of earnings which
will pay reasonable returns on necessary
and not fictitious capital. There will be
profit at rates which would beggar the
Southern Pacific if it were not managed in
the peculiar fashion with which the public
are familiar from its inception
The Stockton and Bakersfield has no
advantages from Government land grants
or State and county subsidies. But. as
Mr. Leeds announces, it is Endorsed by
the people of the San Joaquin Valley. and
it will be welcomed with grants Of right
of way, and has no opposition to en-
counter. All that it has done for the COM
pany in giving the land for the roadbed,
the stations and warehouse and depot
buildings in towns, is generosity which
cannot but have its reward. The cheaper
the road the more easy it will be to give
low freight rates, heretofore unknown in
the State. Every acre in the vicinity of
the road must advance in value from the
fact that the produce in fruit or cereals is
assured of cheap transportation. The
whole valley will experience benefit from
the fact that the low rates thus obtained
will govern the Southern Pacific also. At
present there is competition to Stockton,
and Stockton enjoys fairer terms than
other cities. Once this road is constructed
others will follow. The rich valley OF the
Sacramento as far north as Red Bluff or
Redding is certain to demand similar &C
commodation, and some Of the coast coun-
ties like Humboldt will be opened UP.
California is thus destined to have the in
estima BILE privilege of being able to look
after itself. quite segregated from the
speculative interests of railroad combina-
tions, which flourish by despoiling. 1t
does seem monstrouS that this State
should be species of reservoir to pipe
prosperity across thousands of miles of
improbable railroading country, and be
denied the legitimate enjoyment of its
own commanding position for trade by
sea and within its own bounds. BY keep
ing the sea routes free and developing local
railroads, managed on strict business prin-
ciples, all this can be corrected. The
Traffic Association is taking the right way
to achieve success.