The record-union., 1896-02-27

it is going. But in this
refunding proposition the people are
disposed to take the business view of
the subject. They know that the Gov
ernment cannot run the roads any more
economically than the companies; they
know that no Eastern combination
would run them so much for the benefit
OF California as the present owners,
and knowing these things they hesitate
to jump out of the frying pan into the
fire by demanding Government fore
closure. This is the whole secret of the
attitude of the people. The many lead
ing business men of the State who have
declared in favor of refunding or who
have refused to declare against it rep
resent the sober business sense of the
community
THE FUNDING BILL.
Santa Ana Blade: The funding bill
now before the Congressional Commit
tee is met with great opposition from
some of the newspapers Of California.
whose chief stock IN trade is denuncia-
ton of the railways. It may be as well
for the people to calmly inquire into the
intention and purport of the bill when
the matter is divested of the denuncia-
ticn, red fire and rant of the daily pa
pers published in the northern citrus
belt
The bill provides for the granting Of
additional time for the payment of the
debt owing by the Pacific railroads with
provisions for foreclosure if they fail to
pay the annual installments of principal
and interest as they come due. This is
surely fair business proposition, and
the average citizen is unable t. see why
the sensational dailias of San Francisco
make such a wonderful outcry over it.
a proposition such as would be cheer
fully accepted by any business man
from a debtor in arrears is surely
worthy of consideration by the Govern
ment of the United States.
THE SALVATION ARMY.
Stockton Mail: The retirement Of
Commander Ballington Booth from the
Salvation Army in America ought to re-
suit in calling forth a declaration of in
dependence from the soldiers on this
side of the Atlantic 1t is our opinion
that among the American salvationists
can be found as cunning and courage
Gus Satan-fighters as there are among
the English, and we believe that so far
as strategy and tactics are concerned
, the officers in the American army are
equal to those in the English. The Sal
walton Army is a powerful organization
in this country, and we do not think that
any good reason can be advanced why
it should be subject to the leadership of
a foreigner.
THE SEAL QUESTION.
San Diego Union: The plan for the
United States to have all the seals on
the Pribylov Islands killed, to prevent
their falling into the hands of pelagic
sealers would seem to be rather child
ish way of settling the trouble 1t
might be we'll first to try more stringent
measures than any that have yet been
adopted Long terms Of imprisonment
the same penalties, in fact, as are inn
posed for grand larceny-mI if visit
ed upon illicit sealers. put a summary
end to their depredations. OF course.
to carry out this plan, the cooperation
CT England would be necessary but as
the time seems very cpportune for set
ting all controversies with Great Brit
ain, it is quite possible that the sealing
dispute as well as the Alaska boundary
and other sources of unp1easantness
might all be adjusted together and the
two countries take q fresh start all
around.
DELUDING HOME SEEKERS.
Stockton Independent: Santa Rosa
furnishes warning to home seekers
against rosy-hued schemes that promise
nice homes for small prices and on easy
terms. A promoter organized the Ken
wood Land Company and bought a
large tract on credit. This he subdi-
vided and sold many small farms to
settlers who wanted just such homes.
They paid him several installments,
built houses, planted orchards and
vineyards, and were in high hopes OF
prospering and living happily in the
colony when the person who sold the
land to the company sent dismay among
them by beginning a suit to recover it
because the promoter had not paid for
it. The company owes $4,000 on the
tract and the settlers are likely to lose
all they have paid or expended in inn
provements. When they bought they
generously and confidingly relied on
the representations made to them that
they could acquire good titles to their
purchases and neglected to have the
promoters title, or the lack of it, in
quired into. This neglect will prove
very costly, for the law will not help
those who neglect to help themselves,
as the settlers in the Kenwood tract
did The law says it is folly to SOW
where one has no assurance of the right
to reap, and this folly has been COM
mitted by these settlers in planting or
chards on ground on which they were
in no way secure. They We're deluded
by promises that careful investigation
would have shown them were baseless
and invested their means in worthless
titles. while good titles to equally cheap
lands were to be had, but where owners
would not resort to delusive promises
that they were not sure of being able
to fulfill.
ECONOMY IN GOOD ROADS.
Red Bluff News: There is economy
III good roads. This fact should always
be uppermost in the minds of the Su-
pervisors. 1t is something that the
farmers should always demand that
candidates for such office pledge them-
selves to be before election and work
for when they have the office
A committee appointed by the New
York Legislature to look into the sub
ject of good roads has made a valuable |
report, filling lit pages of printed mat |
ter. The average cost of taking produce |
to market in New York at present is
81 66 per ton for each six miles the |
average haul, or twenty-nine cents per
mile. The estimate per ton per mile |
on good macadam road is seven cents, |
and if all the roads in the State We're OF |
this description the annual saving in the |
IA will frl n feaa1