The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-10
THE TANGLED LEASE.

There can be no question that the dis
agreement between the Harbur Commits
sioners and the directors of the San Joaquin
road in regard to the proposed lease of the
China Basin to the road for terminal facil-
tiles is altogether the most important mat
ter that now concerns the affairs of Cali
fornia. 1t has olouded the bright prospect
of prosperity that seemed so near realiza-
ton, and threatens to seriously impede
the construction of the competing road,
which is so essential to the welfare of every
interest of the State.
In this condition of affairs the first duty
of every man having authority in the mat
ter is to consider every aspect of the case
fairly and impartially, and earnestly seek
for some basis upon which a satisfactory
agreement can be reached. The progress
of the San Joaquin road must not be
stopped now. 1t has been undertaken so
wisely, promoted so literally, supported
so generally, gone forward so fairly, has
promised so much both to the City and to
the State, has been so instrumental in
awakening a new spirit of enterprise and
cooperation among the people, and finally
has had in it such possibilities of benefit to
every trade and every industry that any
thing which threatens of either failure or
postponement seems like menace to every
sanguine hope of better times and every
prospect of better conditions.
The road must not fail, its construction
must not be postponed, nor should there
be permitted any shadow of doubt that
the western terminal will be in San Fran
cisco. The City needs the road more than
the San Joaquin needs it, for her trade is
larger than that of the valley and her re-
quirements are greater. This fact has been
recognized by the capitalists of the City,
and they have contributed the greater por-
ton OF the money raised to construct the
line. II. therefore, the road is shut off
from San Francisco, the enterprise will be
weakened in the vital point and its success
endangered everywhere. The logic of the
situation compels terminal in San Fran
cisco, and if the Harbor Commissioners
make that impossible they will practically
forbid the road in any section of the State.
The voices of the people, expressed
through interviews with leading men, at
test the widespread desire for an early
settlement of the controversy. Surely the
A104bO1 COMMISSIONERS LSSQ nO6 p6TSlSG III
treating the San Joaquin Company as if
it were suspected of an intention to de-
spoil the State. The directors of the COM
pany are railroad builders, not railroad
wreckers. They are working to benefit
San Francisco and the State, not to rob
them. The very organization of the road
guarantees that it will be operated as a
competing line, and in that guarantee,
given for the protection and assurance of
the interests of the smaller subscribers to
the stock, there is an abundant guarantee,
also for the protection of every interest of
the City and State.
The CALL does no more than publish the
general sentiment of the people when it
again urges the Harbor Commissioners to
reconsider their action. No legal bubble
should be permitted to bar the achieve
ment of this great enterprise, which has
been so fairly started. The directors of
the road ask only that the lease be given
to them under terms that would permit
them to float its bonds and go forward
with the work of construction. When they
are investing so much of their own money
for the public good, surely the Harbor
Commissioners ought to be willing to
carry out the intentions of the Legislature
and the desires of the people and meet
them half way in matter of such vital
importance as this.