The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1905-03-03
Southern Pacific Merger Bill.

The galantry of Representative Nc
Faddin's fight against the Southern
Pacific merger bill is much enhanced
by reason of the fact that he is max
ing his charge with a gun for which
he has neither a bayOnet or ammu-
milton. In other words, the opposition,
which seems to be confined to Vic
toria county, has no other basis Of rea-
son than that a few gentlemen who
are now numbered among those who
make up the population OF the spright-
ly little city of Victoria, will either
lose their places or be removed to an
other scene of activity. One can read
lily appreciate. therefore, why Victoria
should object to the passage Of a bill
which will involve the Wiping out OF
the general offices now maintained
there.
The loss will not be serious one to
Victoria, and even if it were much
greater than it is, that would not bal
ance the arguments which can be
heaped up in support of this measure.
The lines which it is purpOsed to con-
SOlidate are, as every one knows, the
property of the company. They are
so recognized by the Railroad Com
mission in the freight hauled over two
or more of them is subject to single
line rate. 1t is, Therefore, only a
matter of fair-dealing, inasmuch as
these roads are treated for the pur-
poses of rate-making, as one line, that
they should also enjoy whatever ad-
vantagGs may be derived from single
management.
And this is the whole purpose Of the
bill. 1t will merely enable the abolish
ment of several superduous Offices,
and make possible a more economical
operation of all of them, a thing to the
advantage of every patron of these
lines. The measure does not in any
sense come within even the most far
fetched Of those objections which
have heretofore been urged to some
consolidation bills. All of the lines to
| be merged are short spurs, or feeders
to the trunk line with which it is de.
| sired to consolidate them; SO that to
merge them would do no violence
whatever to that provision of the con.
stitutiOn forbidding the consolidation
of parallel or competing lines. The
objection that these consultations re-
! suit in an increase of bonded indebted.
! ness, or of a transfer Of the indebt-
edness OF one line to another line, has
been thoroughly exploded; but to pre-
| clude even misrepresentation in this
respect the bill provides that the pres.
ent status of the bonded Indebtedness
Of these various lines shall remain in
al respects unchanged. Hence neither
an argument nor preteXt can be in
vented against the measure.
On the ether hand, a positive argu.
ment in favor of the consolidation, in
addition to the fact that it will enable
more economical management of the
property, is that the passage of tho
bill will result in the extension of the
San Antonio and Gulf from Stockdale
to Cuero, giving the people of San An.
tonic and Cuero competitor for the
traffic between those two points. AS
1t is now, the San Antonio and Gulf is
scarcely of value to anyone. 1t serves
very few people, but, if extended
open up country now without rail
road facilities and thus add to the tax
able values of the state.
Inasmuch as all the people immedi
ately concerned the only opposition
comes from those who have only 10
cal interest, the legislature ought tc
pass the bill without a resort to any
of the senseless oratory which has
heretofore marked the consideration
Of these measures.