The herald., 1895-02-17
THE nATHEWS BILL

| The Mathews county railroad bill is to be
called out OF the Corporation Committee
and referred to the Judiciary Committee,
who will pass upon its constitutionality.
The enemies of the bill have practically
abandoned their attack on that phase of
the question, and now seek to prejudice
legislation by insinuating that such law
would harass the San Joaquin Valley COM
peting railroad. This assumption is alb
surd. The Valley road will be built to
Bakersfield The counties through which
it will pass will probably have no imme-
date use for the Mathews measure unless
outlying districts desire to construct feed
ers to the main line. But the San Joa-
quin Valley and the counties through
which the competing railroad will pass do
not comprise the entire state. Other
counties and other sections may be
as DESTROYS of railroad COMPETE
ton or railroad construction where
there would be no competition, and
these sections may not be able to accom-
plish their purpose as San Francisco and
the counties of the San Joaquin Valley
hope to accomplish theirs. Not every
city nor all the counties in California are
populated with millionaires public spirited
enough to subscribe for the building of
railroads, and yet the people of those
cities and those counties may be unani-
nous on the proposition and willing to
tax themselves for the purpose, knowing
that no public improvement would so
greatly rebound to the prosperity of their
community
1t is proposed by the projectors of the
oil +~
make connection with those cities that
subscribe most literally to the fund they
have already subscribed. Already Oak
land, Stockton, San Jose and other cities
are bestirring themselves to rouse tinan-
cial interest. This means individ-
ual subscriptions in large amounts
which would be unnecessary if the coun-
ties were permitted to issue bonds and
consolidate their interests. In this way
the tax would be diffused and the ben efits
would be the same.
The Valley road will eventually reach
Los Angeles. If Southern California dis
plays the same enterprise that has
characterized the people OF this section of
the state in the past, the line from Los
Angeles to Bakersfield will be built before
the road from San Francisco to that
point is completed. The necessity of
this conviction is not denied. The
trade of Central California, as far
north as Fresno and Bakersfield be-
longs to Los Angeles and not to San Fran
cisco. A competing railroad, beginning
at San Francisco and terminating at
Bakersfield will certainly and perma-
nently divert that trade, and Los Angeles
1, Loaf h. 4 TIL.
projectors of the San Francisco and San
Joaquin Valley railroad, however are not
going to build their road to Los Angeles
unless we subscribe literally to the fund.
This, again, means individual subscrip-
tons, which may or may not be forth
coming in sufficient amount to induce the
projectors to make Los Angeles the south
ern terminal. 1t is possible, also, that
selfish motives may oppose the extension
of the road beyond Bakerstield-the San
Francisco business man is not prone to
generous sacrifice, even in his own com
munity, and it is not likely that he will
allow as enterprising a rival as Los An
geles to reap benefits if he can prevent it.
1t is clear, therefore, that as far as
Southern California and Los Angeles are
concerned the passage of the Mathews bill
easily solves the difficulty. In that event
individual subscriptions to the railroad
fund would be unnecessary. The counties
would bond themselves to build the road
and the whole people would be benefited
instead of the few.
If the representatives of Southern Cal
ifornia are faithful to the interests of their
constituents they will urge the passage of
the Mathews bill. If the Legislature is
in honest accord with the best interests
of the state the Mathews bill will become
law.
THE PREVALENCE OF critic