The record-union., 1896-02-29
TO BUILD UP THE STATE.
That is the First Work of the Rail-
road Companies.
Freights and Fares Made Low to Ac-
complish This as Matter
of Business.
(From the San Francisco Post.)

(From the San Francisco Post.)
Under date of Washington, Febru-
ary 81. 1896, c. P. Huntington ad
dressed a letter to gentleman in this
city, who, believing the views expressed
by Mr.. Huntington to be an important
contribution to the current discussion
relating TO the approaching adjustment
between the Government and the Pa
cific railroads, has handed it to the
Post" for publication. 1t is as fol-
lows:
Yours of the 10th is received and
am not surprised that the people of
California understand the situation. As
far as my knowledge goes | can say
truly of the New York Central people
that any fight we should have with
them would be upon the lines that busi-
ness men follow. Such men as the Van
derbilts and their President, Mr.. De-
pew, would, am satisfied, know of no
other method of dealing with any busi-
ness question. / mention this because
it is SO different from the methods pur-
sued by the Sutro-" Examiner combi-
nation, which has been making the
fight at the west end. / say Sutro- Elk
aminer" combination because | don't
know which is the head or which is the
tail of the alliance, but it is made up of
as uncanny a set of vagabonds as ever
sneaked around the hencoop of
farmer in the short hours of the night.
l am quite sure that the great mass
of the people of California have con-
fidence in the men who direct the Cen
trail and Southern Pacific Railroads, and
would rather trust them so long as
they make San Francisco the great
head of their organization rather than
the tail of some great Eastern corpo-
alton.
What the people who control the
Southern and Central Pacific Railroad
want to do is to conduct their prop
critics so as to build up California TO
the furthest possible extent, as they
have a great deal of money invested in
the shares of the different companies
on which they can expect no dividends
until the business OF Inc roads in
creases, and to do that everything that
the railroads can do certainly will be
done so long as they are controlled by
their present managers. L think we
have given lower rates, as matter OF
fact, than we really ought to have
given, but there is a good side to that.
Possibly in some sections of the State
the charges may have been too high,
but if they have do not know it. If |
did l certainly would correct it. In the
aggregate, however, the earnings can
not be less than they are to meet the
current and fixed expenses of the prop
erty.
''I see by looking at the accounts that
since the Central Pacific was built IL
has paid $5,603, 1853 so in taxes Con-
sidering the high taxes that we have
paid and the extraordinary expenses Of
operating the roads in the State the
rates of fares and freights have been
lower believe, than they have been on
any other railroad in the world working
under the same circumstances for the
last ten years, but we hope by cutting
up the large landed estates in order
that settlers can find good homes at
reasonable prices ana Dy getting the
price of fuel down somewhat lower
than it is now, to be able to get some re-
turn for our investments in the shares
and to have sufficient increase of ton
mage to lower the already low rates
which now exist.
''Just why any newspaper or any IN
dividual in the State who has the inter-
est of California at heart should be OPP
posed to the funding bill on the princi-
pie of a low rate of current interest
and a long extension of time, / cannot
understand, for they must know that
the debt due the Government must be
paid, and that it can be paid only out
of tbe current receipts. Extending the
time for payment over three or Iour
generations would allow this to be done
I1r1f fol hxr a -
emf generation, and still less so by
those which come afterward, as the
business of the roads will no doubt in
crease. and naturally the amount of the
5eht will diminish as time goes on and
the payments are made.
.eWith kind regards, yours, truly,
SO, p HUNTINGTON" /