The morning call., 1894-08-15
----
ReiIly's Funding Bill Not
in Favor.
BUSINESS MEN so DECLARE.
---
And Yet the Commercial Bodies
Refuse to Act.
FEAR POLITICS IN BUSINESS.
But a Business Man Says That's the
Very Thing Needed in
Politics..

at is the most remarkable thing | know
of in current business affaiFs-this refusal
on the part of The commercial bodies of
San Francisco to take emphatic action in
the matter Of. the Reilly funding bilf-to
protest. against it unitedly," said +. w,
Van: Sicklen of Dodge: Sweeney Il Co.
Yesterday afternoon. 1.-THE action of the
Mayor was all right and proper, and
gave the opportunity that any one would
have thought they would eagerly have
availed themselves Of: The Traffic AS
ISOLATION (of which Mr.. Van Sicken is vice
presdent) gave its president full power
TO actin the matter ard did so'by aunan-:
mous vote. !: Individually 1 am strongly
opposed to the funding bin. lam at the
same time opposed to the Government
owning railroads. Other mon seem to
agreeon both those points, so far: as I
have conversed with them. and because
they think that the one follows the other
they refuse to act in opposition TO the bill.
and thereby tacitly consent to its passage.
| do not think that because the funding
bill is defeated the Government has to as
sumo the operation Of the railroad. Not
at all. 1t simply means that the Govern
ment expects the road to pay its debts, as
it would require any individual to pay any
ability 10 il. Failing to do that the Gov
eminent may take possession and make
what disposition il chooses of the PROP
erty. This bill, as l understand it, adds
$50, coo, 900 to the Central Pacific beyond
all it can figure up of itself and which it
expects the Government to assume. 1t is
the most monstrous proposition [ ever
heard OF. There is no use of clouding the
Judgment on one clear proposition with
guesses and surmises on another. The
first straight and clear thing to do is 10
make the railroad company understand
tnat,it is expected to pay its debts.
'"Then we can deal with the results of
that plain: busnesslike stand when. we
get to it,. VIVA California needs, how
ever. first and last is local competition in
transportation lines. | made the proph-
eey toa friend couple of.yeaTs ago that
IL. the business men did not take hold Of
this m after he would. see: .tum Bile in
rents anda sptiuklin of to let's over the
faces of our business houses bsfore long
that would surprise him. He laughed,
but any one~.eaIi- see sthe fulfllment who
walks through: the business section NOW.
We NEED cQrnpetitiGn, and 'mrstshaye:Tt. ;"
1.-The majority ot:the people i. have
talked with do:not seem so much i'm fear
OF Government ownership ef:Ihe, rail-
roads, said A.; S: .Haliidie of the Call
,fornla Wire Works. '"Fhey rather favor
the ownership of one: through line. IT is
well enough TO fear the political hazards
that accompany the experiment. for there
can be no doubt that they ara quite .tangi-
ple, and only by being aware of'this can
they be met and counteracted. Govern:
ment ownership of railroads will necessi-
tate a broadening o. The civil service.
But that is growing ALI the time. i had
this same fear OF giving too much power
to a political party when. l first began to
study this question. but the prejudice has
disappeared in some: fifteen years of con-
tact with it. In England the railroads are
all owned by corporations, and the corpo-
rations more entirely own the Government
than they do here. They influence legisla-
ton TO dangerous extent. In The colo
MES of Australia the railroads ale owned
and operated by the Government. With
the widest difference in the policies of and
the keenest jeaIousies between the several
colonies they all agree on this.
"For instance, in New South Wales
free trade is the policy. while Victoria has
a protective system. Yet argued out, on
different lines they both reach conclusion
favoring the ownership of railroads, as l
say, despite a Jealousy that teaches to
operate under different gauges on the line
between Melbourne and Sydney. The re.
the administration changes more, fire.
que n tly than it does here. but there is no
wholesale upsetting Of the service with.
each change. Civil service rules apply
and work admirably. In Germany under
All Imperial and in France under a Repub-
lican form of government the railroads ale
owned and operated by the state. With
all their fickleness we never hear of any
trouble over the operation OF the railrosds
in France. They are perfectly satisfied
with It's workings. Some men do not like.
the mixing of politics with. business, but
if more business was imported into poll
tics-tnat is in the operation Of the fuuc-.
:tions OF the Governmental would be bet
tered. No, as / said do n OF think the Oh
ieetions urged against. the; system would
be found to stand in: a fair trial: / am
therefore strongly against the funding bill
with all that that implies" So.
81 am in favor of compelling tie railroad
20 pay their debts. but / am not in favor
of running politics into the operation of
railroads.: They, won't combine. snid
John F. Merrill of .oHolbreok. Merrill &
Stetson. al would be in favor Of the city
owning its light and water works, bot for
that / am perfectly aware that the rail-
road discriminates against San francisco
shippers. This city should he the most
favored city in the country, as the one port
of entry for the traffic OF the Orient for.
the whole country, butthis discrimination
throtties it. Still l don't see how we are
going to better it.
THE general opinion of the business
men. so far as 1 have been able to gather
IT," said Mr.. Michaels of Langley &
Michaels, sis that the Government should
assert its rights in the matter of the Ger
trail Pacific. and il the debt is not paid
take possession of the property. 1t can be
1eased to other parties to operate it. Why
do the business men not act in the matter
eben? Probably because OF a lack of
unanimity on that subject. There seems
20 be but one opinion on the question OF
com melting payment and taking the prop
70 l.