Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-11-11

JOINT resolution OF Congrdks Asso0 IA ApSii,
for he inspection Of tho Union and Cen.
| tral. Pacific railroads have made their
| report. A very careful inspection was
made Of both roads including the location,
| the construction of the road bed, the iron,
bridges, culverts and trestles, station
houses and water stations, the rolling
stock, machine shops, tools, and materials
on hand. Seven days were spent in the
inspection of the Central road. working
from early in the morning till dark, and
ten days on the Union Pacific road, and
estimates were made of the cost of supply
ing all deficiencies.
The first subject that engaged the atten-
ton of the commissioners was the true
Interpretation of the term &c tlrst class rail-
road" as used in the various acts of
congress in relation to these roads. Most
of the roads now ranked as first class
were not by any means perfect in the
beginning, but have been gradually
brought to their present condition by large
expenditures which the small traffic in
their early days would not have justified.
To require the Pacific roads to be brought
at once to the high condition that other
roads have attained only after many years
of large and lucrative business, by a
gradual course OF expensive improvements,
seemed to the commissioners a waste of
money and not the true meaning of the
acts Of Congress on the subject. On the
other hand, If these roads had been built
by private capital, without government
subsidies, it would plainly have been the
interest of the corporation to build them at
the lowest cost consistent with making
them passable, and if paying business
was developed, gradually make such i'm
provements as the increasing traffic should
render necessary.
These corporations having large sub
sides in money and bonds, more should
obviously be required of them than would
be expected if they were dependent wholly
upon private enterprise and capital. They
should be required to build roads on which
passengers and merchandise can be trans
ported with certainty, safety and rapidity :;
roads as good as the majority of those in
the thickly settled States, or in the
language of the commissioners:
"The requirements Of the law will be
satisfied and the designs Of Congress
carried out if the roads be properly located,
with judicious grades, and have substan-
tial road beds Of good width, ballasting,
which with proper care shall be able to
keep the track in good condition through
out the year, permanent structures for
crossing streams, good cross-ties, iron and
joint fastenings, machinery and adequate
rolling stock, the more important machine
shops and engine shops being of masonry"
Such roads they say, these are now
substantially, though some expenditures
yet need to be made. The report reviews
the condition of the roads in detail, setting
forth the deficiencies as they find them in
each, with estimates Of the cost of supply
ing them. The expense required consists
mainly in ballasting the track and widen
ing the road bed il. some places, filling
trestles and putting la oulverts, supplying
additional station houses and machine
shops, and substituting stone or brick for
wood in some of the shops and engine
houses.
The total estimated cost of supplying
Deficiencies on the Central railroad is
S576,650, and on the Union road
$l,586,0QO Each road has, however, on
hand surplus of rolling stock, materials
and supplies beyond the immediate future
demands Of its business, the amount OF
that of the former road being more than
one million dollars worth, and of the latter
nearly two millions.
The commissioners say in conclusion |
In concluding this report the COM
mittee desire to state that both companies |
are doing large amount Of work on their
respective roads, and are day by day |
them nearer to the standard
required by law. This great hner the |
value Of Waich to the country is inestima-
BE, and in which every citizen should feel
a pride, has been built in about half the
time allowed by Congress, and is now a
good and reliable means of communication
between Omaha and Sacramento, well
equipped, and fully prepared to carry
passengers and freight with safety and
dispatch, comparing, in this report, favor
ably with a majority Of the FIRST class
roads in the United States"
This commission viii probably COZ
mand more confidence than any Of It's
numerous predecessors. Its members are
men of high character, they haya spent
much time in careful and thorough
examination of the roads. n I are manim,l
Gus in their conclusions