The herald., 1895-01-13

FRESNO, Jan. lathe board Of super
eisors Of Kings county has appointed a
committee consisting Of 5 E Biddie. Frank
h. Dodge ard D B Cameron to attend the
forthcoming meeting Of the Los angeles
chamber Of commerce, sehich is to discuss
the subject of closer commercial relations
bet,oeea the San joaquin palley and South
ern California;, and The building Of a road
betgcen Fresno ana Los angeles.
Shallit be an enterprise of ths whole people
or the work OF a private corporation, to bind
Fresno and Los Angeles together with stsel
rails? Doubtless the people win welcome
either plan. Far-seeng men anxious for the
greatest good to the commonwealth prefer the
state trunk road as outlined in the Mathe VS.
amendment, ana the va ious county roads as
feeders to it. But ii private capital shall step
in and lay the road between Los Angeles and
Fresno befo'e the state road can be built, pri-
Va capital will be welcomed, for competing
railroad is the great necessity of the hour
And private line between Fresno and Los
Angeles would in no manner int .fere with the
STATE lruih Ene. IL NOutI F&tIcr utn t4it Sehlo
project, and itsline form the basis Of the trunk
road.
cat no time since the agitation for compel
ing railroad was commenced have the circum-
stances been so favorable for the realization OF
the sche ne at The present The people
have at list become more than interested
They are aroused to the imPor ance OF doing
something to accomplish the end they have
sought for years, and the passing of each day
seems TO lend assurances to the hope that
something practical will be done in the near
future. Everyone now knows the interest that
has been manifested in the matter by the citi-
Gems OF both Fresno and Los Angeles. This
same feeling has been shown by all the citi-
zens OF the valley not cowed down by fear OF
southrn Pacific, and from this feeling it is ex.
pected that something tangible will result"
avs the Bakersfield Democrat "Relying upon
the favorable conditions that are believed to
exist at this time and with the intention of
taking advantage of the flood time OF public
sentiment, Senator Mathews of Los Angeles
will introduce into the legislature as soon as
possible" the bill providing for the construc-
ton, equipment and maintenance of a trunk
line by the state. Tho full text of this bill hes
already appeared several times ia thes col
umns.
Continuing its comm ents on the stete rail-
road plan our neighbor at Bakersfield says
"aaay people arr of the opinion that such
bill would not pass the Legislature because it
would conflict with section l3 OF Article NI of
the constitution which prohib is any city,
town, county, township or school district from
incurring any Indebtedness exceeding in any
year the income provided for it for such year
without the assent of two-thrds of the quail
fed electors thereof. The Ma thews bill pro.
vides for this and also for the collection of an
animal IN IN IA @ inA an ind a
edness and to provide for a sinking fund. 1t
also covers every objection that can be brought
against it and provides simple, cheap and
sure method OF relieving ourselves from the
unwarranted exactions OF the southern Pacific.
The Matthews bill will permit this road to be
built. practically by popular subscription and
We ~ citizen and tax payer Will have an inter
estin it
The proposed bill is not in conflict with Sec
ton 81 Article ~ OF the constitution because
any road bull, under the provisions of the bill
is, de facto, estate institution, for which we
believe money could be appropriated The
people as represented in the legislature now
have the opportunity of building d competing
road and every citizen in the state will watch
the fate OF the Mathews bill in the legislature
and he action OF the individual Legislators in
regard TO this m asure"
There is another Cause that may possibly
operate against the athews amendment in
the eyes of those who are seeking for reasons
to down the measure, and this is its cost. The
average citizen knows about as much OF polti-
cul economy as he does OF rearing children
and he has given far less thought to the latter
than he has to the care OF his pigs and cattle.
Necessarily the bonds for the trunk line, as
well as the interest upon them, must come out
OF the taxpayers pockets. That means, OF
course that you and who do not own foot
OF real estate and yet have to have house to
liv in viii have o pay for the construct &
that safe railroad, while the LANDLORD "A
throw off his share OF the burden by adding
the increased tax to his rents. But, of course,
the landlord doesn't know this He sweats
and groans under the burden OF all the taxes
he thinks he has to pay. It is this kind of a
man who viii not be abe to see, at first glance,
the cheapness OF building q railroad at the
expense of the whole people. He can see that
ii private clpital builds the road his taxes to
the state (Which his tenants ray. but which he
thinks he paysl will not have o be increased
on that score. And, confound It, he can see
no further.
If he could on y so step in advance OF that
and see hat if it should cost him IL dollar
moro for the construction of a state railroad
(Which it won't. however, he would be bound
to get Il hundred fold return in the way of
cheaper goods and added prosperity-if he
could be made to see that he would be the
gamer in the eheaDness of his personal travel
ing-if he could--but what's the use. He re-
sides mostly in Sal. Francisco and is known as
t. s,lurian, and his numbers and influence are
not sufficient to materially interfere with the
success of the plan
For another class of possible objectors-more
rational ana therefore more inauential-the
Santa Barbora Press has something to say that
;e ,,.l,s IL,