The morning call., 1893-10-08

=: The Southern Pacific is standing on its
=: last legs. As BELTS an octopus they are
many. They are the thousand and more
piles that have been driven within a few
days across a portion of San Francisco
:. Bay; fencing in all of Oakland's water
front.
=. Had Attorney-General Hart secured his
= restraining order a week ago, Saturday, the
monopoly would not have had this vantage
ground. Had he even done so on Monday
only few of the distractions would have
been in place. But he must needs wait
until the latter part of the week. for rea-
:Bons best known to himself, and when the
iHjua1.on was finally issued by the State
courts all the work had been done. save the
driving of perhaps a score of piles near the
.Alamsda end of this marine fence.
= THE steam drivers were not working in
:: the bay yesterday, but there was not much
necessity for further efforts. Seven miles
: Of fence, every post of which is at least
: two miles from shore, had been con-
Btrueted, with the exception Of few
hundred yards.
: why was il that the railroad company
:: rushed six steam pile-driVers out into the
bay one week ago to-day, and early in the
morning commenced breaking the Sab
: bath by putting up this marine fence
= Why could not the work have been done
: by the one driver at use in the harbor?
Why the expense of engaging extra help ?
=: Simply because they knew that the At
tDTnev-General intended commencing ac-
-tion; they were warned. Some one in his
:: office, or cognizant of bis plans, is believed
TO have betrayed them to the enemy, who
:; were thus enabled to try. their best to
:thwart the contemplated action.
-: Many people on both sides of the bay
wonder who, when the Attorney General
saw or heard that these piles were being
put up, that he did not at once secure the
restraining order and subsequently file his
complaint. All lawyers agree that such
practice is admissible, and the courts en-
tertain such motions every week.
That MI hart was slow of action is
evident; that this hardness gave the rail-
road an opening is also evident. Shortly
after the Oakland city government began
suit for the water front the States after
ney was asked to commence action. He
said he would, and it has taken him a
month to get the papers ready.
In every sense of the word are these
piles the last legs the Southern Pacific has
TO stand on in It's fight to retain the grip
on California.
Never in the history of the State have so
many elements been at war with the
monopoly; never have such efforts been
nj ade to deprive it of its enormous power.
a glance at the situation shows how the
company is beset. By the exercise of
.. brute force the people of Oakland have
=. caused the corporation to cease building
fences on the land along the water front.
The City Council has regulated the spec
Of trains and the placing of switchmen,
something 10 other City Council dared to
:. do, This same body has under considera-
tien a measure that will prevent the use
OIL gates on cars, and thus perpetuate the
citizens right TO ride free within the cor
"poration limits-an agreement the railroad
q made years ago. The DaVie Transports
ton Company is running hourly passen-
ger. boats, and doing a large opposition
freight business as well. The Traffic As
soeatio is pushing the San Joaquin VAL
.ley..railroad project. Up the bay and the
San Joaquin River run boats that keep
tariff rates down. The Santa Fe is reach
ing 'out in the south. The city govern
ment of Oakland is suing in the courts for
possession of the water front. and the
State has begun another suit for the same
property: Thus State. city. corporations.
companies and individuals are fighting the
= octopus. 1t is the greatest fight against a
monopoly that has been made in the
:; United States. and every one wonders
" how 1t will end
: Now to see how cleverly the Southern
Pacific is arranging its line of battle and to
show why these obstructions in San Fran
:. cisco Bay are its last legs.
When the city of Oakland began its suit
for possession the action was brought
against the Oakland Waterfront Com
pany. a few days after the papers were
fled the waterfront company passed out
: of existence and the property was trans
d. .ferred to the Southern Pacific. OF course