The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-19
Fair. He had Just dismissed Sycamore

Fair. He had Just dismissed Sycamore
Jeter and delegation from Santa Cruz.
"My visit to the city," said the Governor,
whose good health has returned, twas for
the purpose of personally inspecting China
Basin before signing the bill which the
Legislature passed granting the new rail
road terminal there. The Governor is
allowed ten days after the adjournment of
the Legislature for the consideration of all
bills. That does not include Sunday, so
that have until next Thursday to sign
the bill
''Of course I will sign the measure.
With all the patriotic citizens of California
l am very much interested in the further
ance OF this new enterprise, but we must
proceed in the regular way.
after looking over the situation / have
ordered Mr. Holmes, the harbor engineer,
to make a complete survey, showing the
wharves, channel, the present land line
and the proposed extension of the seawall,
together with the approaches. The basin
will be subdivided and shown on q large
map, which will be ready for a meeting of
the full board in this city on Saturday
morning next"
The Governor was accompanied on his
tour of inspection by Harbor Commissioner
Chadbourne, Engineer Holmes and AS
sistant Attorney-Genera1 Daily. The party
passed the morning in studying the locality
and the aptness the chief executive showed
in grasping detail was commented upon by
the experts. He displayed an easy famii-
iarity with the territory and has evidently
already posted himself on the terminal
question. But he wants all the informa-
ton possible on the subject, and the State
Engineer and staff will be kept busy the
next few days making calculation on the
l. IL
days meeting, which Will be attended by
Governor Budd, Mayor SUtro and the
Harbor Commissioners, constituting the
power that will lease the terminal ground
to the railroad. The bill provides for the
lease of not more than fifty acres for a
period of fifty years. There are only about
twenty acres within the basin lines.
II think the building of the San Fran
cisco and San Joaquin Railroad, /" contin-
ued the Governor, as he reviewed in his
mind the one great question now agitating
the public, will solve the problem of our
commercial prosperity. During the cam
paign last fall had occasion to state my
position on the railroad question, and since
my election to the office of G overnor of the
mind on this subject. / stated then, as
state now, that the bane of American insti-
tutlons is corporation arrogance.
"ln my canvass through the San Joaquin
Valley | met many farmers who assured
me that they could not continue the cult
walton of their fields at the low price of
wheat then prevailing when the cost of
transportation was deducted. They said
they would have to abandon the country
rich and fertile though it is-yes, as rich
and fertile as the far-famed valley of the
Nlle-to the gophers and the Southern
Pacific
Finally the Southern Pacific reduced the
schedule on wheat from the San Joaquin
Valley. 1t was obliged to do so or in a
wheat to haul. Weeds would have grown
up where once waved fields of golden
wheat and rabbits would have sported
where The thrifty farmer pursued his occu-
patton. No, the Southern Pacific is de-
serving OF no gratitude from the women
OF the San Joaquin for having reduced the
rates, for it has not abandoned its policy
OF all the traffic will bear
II have always held that California is
paying at least twice what it should on
products shipped to the East for consump-
tlon.. Now, this is a great drawback to
our industrial and commercial advance
ment. One way out of the difficulty is to
build competing railroads. There is traffic
for them all. The keener the competition
the better 1t wilt be for the whole people.
The San Joaquin road can be built and
equipped for SIS, 600 to 900 mile The
Southern Pacific is mortgaged for more
than that amount per mile. The men who
are putting their money into the new road
will, in my opinion, realize good interest
on an investment OF from $4,000 to $4,000
per mile, and, in addition, will be doing
great blessing to the State by reducing
freight rates on our products and merchan-
disc, reduction that can only be brought
about by competition. Yes, am deeply
concerned in the building of this railroad.
Quote me strong-quote me often in favor
of it.
During the campaign, continued the
Governor after pause, and pulling him
self together as though in the act of ad-
dressing the producers of the San JOAQUIN
in mass-meeting, "the planks in the plat
form on which ! stood urged the necessity
of a competing railroad south from Stock
ton, and having connection with San
Francisco. 1t is a marvelously productive
territory, this San Joaquin Valley. and
there is no reason why the line cannot be
continued SOUTH avoiding the Moiave
Desert, and getting productive country
all the way through to Southern California,
where transcontinental connection NAV
be made. In the matter of freight schedule,
the local line need have no connection