The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-01-06
THEY FEAR Los ANGELES.
Arthur McEwen's Pointed Remarl
Ahnnt Gan ErnncIAco MnrChanta.

Arthur McEwen's Pointed Remarks
About San Francisco Merchants.
The Fresno Expositor has been inter
viewing Arthur McEwen, with the re-
suit of elicitng some very interesting
data concerning the personnel of the
Traffic association and the situation in
San Francisco. Said Mr.. McEwen:
you need not expect the Traffic as
ISOLATION to do anything except under
duress. 1t is composed, for the most
part, OF very small men. They are not
highly endowed with commercial brains
and are still poorer in courage. They
think they would like a railroad down
the San Joaquin valley, but they are
afraid OF 1t. | don't mean that they
really fear to arouse the wrath of the
Southern Pacific company 80 much
as they dread the chances of another
overland connection. The political
economists OF the Traffic association are
the narrowest kind of protectionists.
That is, they are disposed to think that
their own prosperity depends upon the
adversely OF other places. A boom in
Los Angeles would distress them. and
they want no valley railroad that has
southern outlet. They are of Mr.. Hun
tington's opinion that competition is
killing. but they apply that dogma to all
trades as well as railroads.
zone of the reasons why the Traffic
association has RETAINED from aubscrib-
ing to it's own road while asking every =
body else to do 30, is that some of it g
most important men do not believe in i t
as business proposition. These doubt
less want the state to build it. or, failing
in that, anybody else except themselves.
Manager Leeds has rather scared his
employers. He started in with large,
aggressive ideas, but as he has become
better acquainted with the San Francisco
business men he has narrowed down to
their gauge and does business exclu-
svely for the sake of No. l. II he had
not taken in sail and stopped proposing
things of wide scope, intended for the
common good, he would have been
deemed an impracticable crank and lost
his position. He is now generally re-
spected as a man who ia smart enough
to continue to draw $40, 000-a-year
salary.
1.-THE Traffic association has come to
be despised in San Francisco. 1t ia
habitually spoken of with sneer, even
by such of its own memb ers as have any
intellect. 1t is afraid to fight, afraid to
back its own propositions with coin. and
everybody knows it. 1t is an organiza-
ton OF retailers, with none OF the whole
sailing spirit-none of the pluck which
induces real merchants to take risks for
the sake OF large gains.
"A railroad will be built down the
San Joaquin valley. 1t will reach from
tide-wat to Los Angeles. 1 am not
speaking at random. 1t will be built
with eastern money. simply as busi-
mesa proposition. The Traffic sssocia-
ton will have nothing to do with it, but
Fresno and every other community in
interest will have an opportunity to
help. The Traffic association, predict,
will be opposed to the enterprise. 1t has
the interest of preservation, and
the thought of genuine railroad compe-
INSTRUMENTATION that will reach Los
Angeles and reach the east-scares it.
When San Francisco becomes other than
one-railroad town other men than
those in the Traffic association will do
it's business. Let a score or two of
hustlers from Chicago and Minneapolis
get into the slow old city and get to
work, and the timid, contracted traders
who sit down there now and growl and
won't lift hand to help themselves
who don't know how to help them
selves-and they will have to make way
for the newcomers.
San Francisco needs more railroads.
OF course. That is as plain as that a
cart needs more than one wheel. But
San Francisco needs something more
pressingly than che does new railroads.
] mean real business men. If she had a
=, Traffic association made up of real bust.
ness men instead Of dodoes, the railroads
would come into existence fast enough.
San Francieco is really only q larger