The herald., 1896-06-29
A Railway Scheme

Editor Herald: The people believed that
on the completion OF the electric railroad
Los Angeles to the beach S at
running to Santa Monica would be reduced
to a low figure. but they have been disap-
the roasd T trip 'Gss s
the Los Of aSsaa to ser
watering place BY building and operating
an electric road from the city to Santa @
bonds running forty years. and making the
fare 10 cents from the city to Santa Monica
and intermediate points. This is not wild.
business ,sa proposition. I Th%ere % are e no insSr
mountable legal obstacles in the way. Such
a road would quadruple the passenger
and II placed under honest and competent
management. it would certainly prove to he
the source of large net revenue. as 1t is
safe to predict that in case the other roads
should cut the fare from the city to Santa
Monica to 10 cents. this road would do fully
80 per cent of the entire passenger busi-
that in patronizing it the would be pat
ronizing themselves. and those who are
not residents Of the city would
roads owned by private corporations:
where the traffic of the street railroads is
divided by number of parallel lines, pas
sengers are carried for cents. as far as
from the center of Los Angeles to the
beach at Santa Monica, which is about
fourteen miles. on an air line, and 1t is well
known that those roads pay large divi-
dends. AS the fare on the road from Los
Angeles to Santa Monica would be 10 cents.
competition. It's net earnings would GER
tainiy be larger than those of almost any
Of the street railreads above mentioned ,,,i
less be more than sufficient. to pay the
running expenses of the road and the in
terest on the bonds, and provide sinking
for the naVmnnt of the bonds at A.
turity: and in case the refunding of the
bonded debt should be deemed advisable.
1t could be refunded without difficulty at
maturity. SO that no person now living
need be called upon to pay one dollar OF
the. principle.
portant factors In the growth Of the city.
The recent annexation to the city of the
western suburbs reduced the distance from
Santa Monica to less than nine miles.
Santa Monica and the people owning
ranches along the line of the. road would
doubtless be willing to contribute hand
some bonus to the enterprise. as the build
ing of the road would insure the realization
of the longtime hope of the enthusiast. by
sea.
Fom time immemorial counties have con-
etructed and owned wagon roads. and nc
eIseVs pubIcs Wefare RsrsoV Would % be- subserVed @ by
placing the ownership and control of such
roads in the hands of private corporations
Inc trenQ Oh puDllC sentiment is III tHe ul-
rection of governmental ownership of al
! railroads. and such ownership, supple
ment would prove to be very satisfactory
and profitable to the people.
The right of way for the proposed road
could be had for the asking, and railroad
building and equipment is much less ex-
pensive than formerly. 1t is time for the
people of Los Angeles to pay less tribute
to private corporations for the privilege OF
breathing the salt sea air. If the city will
| get a move on herself she can build and
| equip the road and begin to carry passen-
| gers over it by the end of next June, and
| thus give the people access to a delicious
breathing place at an expense which they
| can afford to pay.
Los Angeles. what think you of the en-.
| terprise?
| Santa Monica, what do you say?
]. D. EAGON.