Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-01-27

renewal o. Tue kfSut. 4uoe DO"ao, osscs sUa
examination Of the papers accompanying sucl
application, and finding that the company CAV
satisfactory assuranccs;of determination 4
comply with the requirements OF the act
resolved to confer the grant on such company
In accordance with the provisions OF section
Z. chapter 13A, Acts Of Twelfth General Assem-
bly. As result OF this action, the road Wal
finished to Fort Dodge In July last, and is now
in running order, both westward from thai
town and eastward from Sioux City, lacking
only about nfty miles Of full completion
and we have assurances that before next July
this gap will be filed, and another railroad
completed between the Mississippi and Mis-
AT the last session of the General Assembly
the State resumed the grant made to the NC
Gregor Western Railway Company, to aid In
building railroad on or near the forty-third
parallel, from McGregor to the west line Of
O'Brien county, and regranted 1t to the Nc
Gregor and Sioux City Railway Company, on
conditions similar in character to those imposed
on the Iowa Falls and Sioux City Railroad
Company with the additional stipulation that
such company should obtain from the McGreg-
or Western Railway Company complete re-
lease of all its claims to any of the lands orig
inally granted to the latter. Sixty days time
was allowed for the acceptance Of this PROPOSE
ton Before the expiration of that period, an
instrument, purporting to be an acceptance OF
the grant and its terms, was filed In the office
Of the Secretary of State. Vigorous work was
at once commenced on the construction of the
road, and within the time limited it was fin
ished to Chickasaw; and now the cars are run
ming to Clear Lake, Cerro GOrdO county, an
ticipating by almost two years the require
ments Of the law. Furthermore, am advised
that the road is under contract as ia. as Al
gona, in Kossuth county, and will be built to
that point BY July l, 1870; and have assu-
RANGES that the road will be finished during the
present year. It is hoped that when this com.
pany shall have completed its road, 1t will find
It to it's interest to extend its line across the
Big Sioux to the Missouri river.
In accordance with the requirements OF chap.
81, acts of last session, resuming the lands
granted by acts Of Congress to the State for the
Of railroad up and along the
valley Of the Des Moines river, the Des Moines
Valley Railroad Company deposited with the
Treasurer of State the sum necessary to settle
certain claims arising out Of the Des MOines
river Improvement. Consequently, in compli-
ance with law, have patented to the company
1862, 997 6S acres of the lands granted for this
Improvement.
The extension of the line of this road has
been urged forward with vigor, and 1t is now
In running order to point some twenty-five
miles north of the Cedar Rapids and Missouri
road, and about seventy five from the terminus
of the road at the time of the session Of the last
General Assembly. The act of that session re.
quired only the grading Of sixty-fve miles; the
company have, as we have seen, not merely
graded, but built this amount of road and ten
miles more. The company, however, has failed
TO fileian acceptance of the act above mentioned,
as required by section three thereof.
The Council Bluffs and st. Joseph, and the
Sioux City and Pacific railroads have also been
completed within the past two years. The
Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota rail-
TO point within a short distance of the Oska.
oosa branch Of the Chicago, Rock Island and
Pacific railroad and has also been built from
Cedar Rapids to VintOn. The McGregor Wes-
tern Railway Company has built branch TO
DEBORAH; the Cedar Falls and Minnesota road
has been completed to the State line, there con-
Meeting with lines of road to st. Paul the
Iowa Central has been completed from Eldora
TO MarshalltOwn; the North Missouri road has
been built into the State In Appanoose county;
The st. Louis and Cedar Rapids is progressing
in the direction of Ottumwa; ana the Cnicago,
Burlington and Quincy Company has built q
road from Burlington to Fort Madison, making
there by rail with Keokuk. Be
sides. q railroad has just been completed TO
Burlington from Carthage, Illinois Numerous
projected lines attract much attention, and
few have made some degree OF progress.
fastened this rapid development
of our railroad enterprises. That event, justly
one of the most memorable OF the
age, worthy to be ranked with the laying OF
the Atlantic cables, and the construction OF the
Suez Canal just finished, would, 1t was thought,
contribute largely toward changing the
commerce OF the orient, and direct
ing it eastward across the American
continent; while the opening up Of
the States and territories to the westward
would also contribute to the traffic to follow
this channel A determination to compete for
this trade has sensibly accelerated railroad
in Iowa the past year; and this has
not been confined to east and west lines, but
those running or projected in northerly and
directions have felt more or less of
it's influence. Hence the last two years have
witnessed the construction of more miles OF
railroad in Iowa than any two previous years
Of our states history. During that time there
have been 800 miles of railroad built, making
an aggregate of about 1904 now in operation
In the State.
The last General Assembly reserved to the
State the right 10 enact laws regulating rates
Of tariff on the roads on which 1t bestowed
land grants. 1t was thought best, at the time,
to take advantage of the opportunity offered
to place beyond cavil the authority Of the
General Assembly In this matter. The owners
of these roads are possessed OF the power OF
taking private property for the uses OF their
projects. The roads, also, are endowed with
enormous land grants, amounting, with those
of the other roads, as has been seen, to between
four and five millions of acres, or about one
eighth of the entire area of the State. Recip-
tents of such bountics, they have no right to
complain If the State reserves to itself the ulti-
mate power to prevent extortiOn, should such
ever be resOrted TO.
The entire question Of regulating, by legisla-
ton. the tariff of rates on railroads,
has been widely discussed, and is one of
great Importance. OF the benefit to be
derived from such an attempt at regu-
lation, there is, in my Judgment, grave ques.
ton. In order, however, that the subject
might be considered with the light which sta
tistics would throw on 1t, have endeavored to
collect such statistics from the various railroad
companies, and have obtained from ten Of them
answers to my inquiries more or less complete.
From these reports learn that on these lines
safss of e6a 476 49, ,2l represents the cost
OF construction of 800 miles of road, or e3S,
SIS. S6 per mile. Eight of these roads report
their gross earnings at "a, 776 4SO. ID and their
operating expenses including taxes 81 = ~ u.s.
Of construction and 565 per cent
@',e. But 'U whatever a. views may
entertained in relation to the
expediency Of enactng rates OF tariff for railroads
there can be none, think, as to the policy OF en-
deavOring to defeat any demands OF these corpora
tions for exhorbttant rates by encouraging and IN
wiling capital build competing lines to cross on
great thOroughfare in northcrly and sonthery drec
lions, and In opening up our CO mmunicatiOns b!
water with the markets OF the world by the routes
the Mississippi Missouri, Illinois, Rock, Wisconsin
and Fox rivers.
WATER COMMUNICATION.
The improvements in the Mississippi river are be
ing pushed forward ~ rapidly ~ the means allowed
by Congress will permit Recently the sum OF wv
hundred thousand dollars was voted with which 4
continue the work the lower, or Des Moines Rive
eastern counties particularly. and measurably al
the state, In aifording unimpcded water communities