The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-04
PULL ALL TOGETHER.

The launching of stern-wheel steamer
by San Franciscans, to ply between San
Francisco and Alviso, and their expressed
intention to construct from Alviso to San
Jose an electric road over which to haul
the products of Santa Clara County to
Alviso, and ship them thence by steamer
to San Francisco, is just what San Jose her
self should have done years ago, and it is
not to her credit that this splendid oppor-
tunity was never seized. Seven or eight
years ago some of her enterprising citizens
made heroic efforts to arouse into activity
the abundant capital available for this
purpose, but indifference throttled the eff
fort.
We should be glad to see Santa Clara
County in the enjoyment of dozen roads
for sending its products to market. 1t has
always been completely at the mercy of
one transportation company, and it has
suffered hurtful retardation in consequence.
1t seems incredible that with only eight
miles of railroad to construct in order to
bring its products to tidewater, this mag
niicent county has been content to slum-
Der so long. 1t is true that the county has
progressed wonderfully, but this has been
rather the result of splendid natural re-
sources forcing themselves into develop
ment than of an enterprising effort to
shake off the burden of a transportation
monopoly. If this had been done long ago
the Imagination can picture the vastly
greater development that would have
ensued.
OF course the building of this steamer for
the Alviso trade was begun long before the
San Joaquin Valley road was made a clear
probability. Now that it has been done we
hope that it will bring to its owners gen.
erous profit, and to Santa Clara County in
creased prosperity. The project was under
taken, however, at time when there was
a monopoly of transportation, no prospect
of competition and high charges for the
service. AS it is more than likely that San
Jose will secure line of the Valley road,
competition and heavy reduction of trans
portation charges are inevitable, and the
profits of shipping will be of course reduced,
for the profits of the Valley road will come
in part from other sources.
For these and other reasons we suggest
that the promoters of the new line to Al
viso could probably better themselves by
uniting their forces with the Valley road
instead of entering into competition with
it. The one great thing now before all the
people is the establishment of the new
railroad. Every effort and thought should
be concentrated on that one undertaking.
1t will be time enough after this is done to
think of other needful things. 1t is only
by a concentration of their efforts on this
one proposition that the residents of the
Santa Clara Valley can hope to find relief
from burdens which affiict them. All their
energy is needed for this. When that is
done let them, as they should, run electric
roads all over the county for the purpose of
bringing in the products for shipment over
the peoples road. Let them, if they will,
build an electric road of their own to deep
water at Alviso and there connect with
steamers to San Francisco. There will be
time for all these minor things when the
greatest and most important of all has
been accomplished.
The earnestness and vigor with which
the people OF San Jose are pushing the
Valley road enterprise show that they un-
derstand these matters thoroughly, and
that they realize that it is only by eternal