Year: 1879

A Granger Who Desires Wharf Advantages


and Who Thinks That Los Angeles May I'M


prove on Her Old Methods of Dealing With


the Railway.


EDITOR HERALD: I am much
pleased to see that you are draw
ing attention to our ocean outlet,
for the ocean is the highway of the
world; and, with free ocean front,
we have every advantage of mar
ket for our products that a people
can have. We can then compete
with any part of our country, East
or West. The markets of New York,
England, France, Germany, the
Islands, China, South Americs, or
Mexico, are at our door. | believe,
too, you are taking the proper view
in the matter when you say that
we should have a consultation with
the railroad people. Up to this
time nothing has yet been done in
u spirit of friendliness and fairness
to meet these parties, and to show
them our necessities and wants,
which would not only be an advan-
tage to us but to them also. l have
never been able to see why this is
continually neglected; but, instead
of this, hard names are used. Iu-
stead of getting their cooperation
and good will, they are estranged
from us. These people, Stanford,
Crocker, Towne and others, are
just such people as We are; they
like to be treated with courtesy and
as reasonable beings. They are fair
and good men, just such men as
you and / and other people would
be glad to have dealings with; just
men, reasonable men, good citi.
zens, neighbors and friends to those
who. are acquainted with them.
They have spent their money in
railroads, which is an advantage to
us; and they have done this believ-
lug it to be to their advantage to
build them. That they have made
this money fast in railroading has
been a good thing for Los Angeles
county and | hope they will con.
tinue to prosper, for the public are
more benefited than themselves,
for what have they got beyond
com potency (Which they have had
long ago) except much work and
much abuse. That the public have
grievances is no doubt true, but
that the railroad people have them
too, there is no doubt. Many of
these grievances can be righted by
going to them in spirit of fair
ness and laying the facts before
them. This, at least, is my expert
ence, and l have had much to do
with them. For these reasons | be.
lieve if the citizens will meet to-
gether, discuss their wants, and
appoint committee to discuss and
consult with the railway officials
we may get all of our reasonable
wants. That such q movement
would do good is to my mind GER
tain.


We have right to have free
approach to the ocean. and to haul
our products by wagon ourselves or
We have right to have reasoua-
BILE wharfage, and if the railroad
company will not or cannot do it
as cheap as the people themselves
can, then the people should have
their own wharf and warehouse.


| believe the best place for us is
the Wilmington harbor, which is
already sufficiently good to have
almost daily arrivals and depar-
tures of vessels; and it would take
but small additional expenditure
of money, from time to time, to
make harbor sufficient for all of
our wants. | understand that ves-
sells come bringing lumber, coal,
etc., and have no freight back, but
pay $l.25 a ton for ballast. These
vessels return for new cargoes, and
go to many places where corn, bar.
ley, and other of our products, are
needed and buy these articles from
San francisco. We, of course,
could furnish these staples with
mucn profit to ourselves. Mexico
buys corn from us, and what is the
result now? Why corn is shipped
by rail to San Francisco, is there
carted from one wharf to another,
loaded on vessel and then it pass
es again by our doors to Mexico.
All these things are at the farmers
loss, which should not be permit
ted; and, in the end, is no advan-
tage to the railroad company. BY
making farming profitable you will
have more people and more pro-
ducts to sell; and, although q right
would exist to allow each farmer
to take his products to the wharf,
yet very few would care to do it,
for the railroad would do it for so
much less that it would not pay,
aud the railroad would make
profit, whereas now grain and other
heavy articles are moved at such q
low rate that there is no profit in 1t
to the railroad company. Only
look at it Supposing the railroad
company would take q carload of
grain or wine from San Gabriel to


Wilmington for SIS. This is, say,
35 miles, and that price would be
cheaper than I could deliver it for.


Now they take it to San Francisco,
say for $50, and, say, AGO miles. In


the one case they would
get more than three times


as much per mile as in the other
and a profit; whereas, in the other


case, they would do it, as they


claim and | believe, without profit.
This would MAKE all articles go in


their natural channels of COM


merce, without strain or loss, no


one could complain and in the end


make money for both parties. 1t


would stimulate production and
ill our country with freight and


people to patruniZe the railroad.


There is now very hopeful feeling