The San Francisco call., 1896-04-24
Mayor Carlson Talks Interest.
ingly and Eloquently of His
Hobby.
HIS POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS.
Says He Is in Favor of Protection.
Appropriations and Patronage
for Friends.

Mayor W. II. Carlson of San Diego is
among the distinguished men from the
southern part of the State VINO accom-
panied the visiting hotel men from that
section to this City yesterday.
Aside from his political aspirations
Mayor Carlson has hobby, and that is to
see San Diego enjoying the benefits of rail-
road competition, and considerable of his
energy is being continually utilized to
bring about this object.
Just now he is busily engaged in pre-
pairing for the approaching campaign.
when he will make fight for Congress
slonal honors in the Seventh District.
The Republican nomination is said to lie
between him and Congressman Bowers,
and Mayor Carlson is far from sanguine of
defeating the incumbent for the honor.
lie is prepared, however, he SAYS, to
take the field as an independent candidate
with Republican leanings. He feels con-
fdent of election, as he has twice before
won political honors as an independent
candidate, once as an Assemblymen and
again as Mayor. He cites the record of
Bowers during his three terms in Congress
as being far from favorable to that gentle
man. Speaking of this, Mayor Carlson
yesterday said:
"Why, what has he done either for his
constituents or his friends? He has failed
during his entire three terms, in getting q
single appropriation for our part OF the
State, and has also failed TO secure any de-
slrable patronage for his friends. And
propose to go into the campaign against
him for these reasons. Should | be re-
turned / feel confd ent that shall be able
to show better record in one term than
he has in three on these points.
Some mistaken impression has gone
ont that l am Populist. Now, that is
not so, for | am a thorough Republican,
and am firm believer IN protection and
particularly in high tariff to protect the
fruit-growing interests of California against
foreign competition. l am also, you can
say, strongly in favor of Federal appro-
priations for my district
Then branching off to his railroad hobby,
the handsome Mayor from the sunny
south said:
Production in and about San Diego
County has so largely increased during
the past few years that am of the opinion
that in the next two years we shall be
shipping oranges, lemons, lines and other
fruits at the rate of 1000 carloads per
annum out of the county.
''San Diego is now the only one of the
leading cities of California that the South
ern Pacific Company does not reach and
with the revival of business from the de-
preston which began about three years
ago San Diego is now in a position to re-
quest the Southern Pacific Company to
build to our city.
''At the present moment the South ern
Pacific Company has just completed q
branch line into Riverside, and they have
also built from San DiInas to Pomona,
from which latter point connection will
be made with the branch to Riverside
q yTT q oil 1rnr1 linn
Santa Fe's present rich and exclusive
orange-growing section.
when the work is complete I have
every reason to believe that the Southern
Pacific Company can be induced to build
into San Diego, if the people there will
offer the proper inducements, which
know they will"
"At meeting held month and a half
ago some OF the most prominent, infiuen-
tlal and wealthy citizens indorsed propo-
sltlon to raise guarantee fund of $3.50, 900
IN real estate, the deeds to be placed in
escrow, as guarantee to the Southern Pa
ciic Company of per cent per annum on
81, 900, the estimated cost of build ing
the line into San Diego. This would give
guarantee for three years at the rate of
$I60 600.
''At this meeting a subcommittee was
appointed to raise this guarantee fund
consisting of e1-Mayor Sherman, Alder
Iioh AOOl, ObdlC 1dIDOT OOm missioner
ID. Z. Reed and Henry Tinker, million
ARE OF st. Louis, and one of the leading
property-owners of San Diego. They are
now actively at work on the matter, and
expect they will shortly be in position
to lay the matter before the proper South
ern Pacific authorities.
81 am IN favor of and have been work
for several years past to secure the en-
trance of the Southern Pacific Company
into San Diego, as | consider that in COM
petition lies the only means of settling the
present railroad question-that is, l am a
believer in settling the matters of fares
and freights by the means of competition
the same as are prices in all classes of
business. and not by hostile legislation
nor prejudiced attacks.
81 am in favor of more railroads. as
through their building is brought about
more competition, more traffic, lower rates
and greater prosperity for all Of California.
Take the construction of the San JOAQUIN
Valley road. It's competition will not be
SO much an injury to the Southern Pacific
Company as it will be means of more
thoroughly developing the section of
country through which it will operate 1t
will of course bring rates down, bur this
will again undoubtedly result in a greater
incentive TO production and to greater
volume of traffic"
When the plans of the people of San
Diego were called to the attention of Gen.
eral Manager Kruttschnitt of the Southern
racine Company he said he had never
heard OF them before, and that no propo-
sitlon had as yet been laid before him, and
that consequently the matter of building
70 san Diego had never been considered.
further than this he declined to say on
the SUBJECT at the present time.