The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-07-04
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
TUESDAY, JULY A, 1871,
tFrem the New York TimesI
The Railways Of the United States.

The Railways Of the United States.
According to Mr.. Henry v. Poor's Railroad
manual Tor 1871 2, now just published, there
were III Operation in the United States, ON
'ne nrst day OF January, 1871, IS, ,145 miles
OF railroad, OF which ,6,145 were opened the
past year-a greater number than in any pre-
vious year by, 1900 miles. The total earn
ings OF these roads during the past year were
S45O,OOOOOO. The gross tonnage Transported
over them equaled 25,OOOOOO tons, having a
value of more than $l0,O00,O0O 900. Their
cost may be put down in round numbers at
s2,4OO 100000. Their mileage, in ratio to the
population of the country, is as 1 to 1923.
Their earnings equal $11 70 to each inbabi-
tant. The tonnage transported equaled 31-4
tons to each; the value of this tonnage equal.
ed $2S2 to each. "All this vast tonnage and
commerce." Mr.. Poor remarks, "has been
wholly created by the reduction effected in
the cost of transportation. The cost, for ex-
ample, of transporting ton Of Indian corn
or wheat over ordinary highways, will equal
twenty cents per mile. At such a rate the
former will bear transportation only I25 miles
70 market, where its value is seyeDty-fve
cents per bushel; the latter only 250 miles,
where its value is 81 so per bushel. With
such highways only, the paost valuable of our
cereals will have no commercial value outside
of circles having radii of 125 and ESQ miles
respectively. Upon railroads, the cost of
Transporting these articles equals only one
and quarter cents per ton per mile. With
these works, consequently, the areas within
which corn and wheat will have commercial
value, will be drawn upon radi of 1900 and
5000 miles respectively. The area of cir
Gle having radius of 125 miles, is 49yO87
square miles; that of circle drawn on ra-
dius of 1000 miles, is 100 times greater, or
8,042, ,406 square miles. Such difference, enor-
nous as it is, only measures the value of the
new agencies employed in transportation, and
the results achieved, compared with the old.
The rapid growth of this colossal interest
Is as wonderful as its present magnitude. In
1851 there were only 8,S76 miles OF line in
actual operation in the United States. Their
total earnings that year we're $50, ,496, ,35S-a
sum which equaled only 81 IS per head Of
population. In 1860 the number of miles
operation were 30,635. Their earnings were
$153, 175,OO0, or $4 90 per head. In 1870 their
earnings equaDed $11 Is per head. The an
nual increase Of earnings from 1850 to 1890
500 annually. With the progress OF railroads
in the unoccupied districts it is probable that
from 1870 to 1880 the rate of increase of earn
ings will be, annually, one dollar per head Of
our population. Such rate would give for
the present decade an annual increase OF, say
943,O00,O00, or aggregate earnings of nearly
$70OOO,OO0, yearly, at its close.
The rate Of increase of our population is
about two and one ialf per centum annually.
Mr.. Poor estimates, from the rapid progress
made in the mechanic arts, that the product
i've capacity of our people increases in four
fold ratio to that of their numbers, and that,
consequently, the wealth of the country
doubles with every decade. 1t is certain that
the railroad tonnage of the country was
three times greater in s1S70 than it was In
1850. This rapid increase of national wealth
is solving, most satisfactorily, the problem of
the future of our national debt II the
wealth of the country Increases at the rate of
ten per cent annually the revenues will in
crease at similar rate, provided there Is no
reduction in that of taxation. But the rate
OF taxation may be largely decreased each
year, without any reduction in the amount of
revenues collected. Such is the fortunate po-
sitiOn of this country, compared with that OF
any other. In no other Is the annual increase
in population and wealth an element OF first
rate Importance in the calculations OF the
statesman. The position of our chief minis
ter of finaEce, consequently, Is most forta-
nate one. The wind and tide are always in
his favor. Each year one million are added
to the list of taxpayers. Their constantly
and rapidly increasing means will more and
more confirm them in their traditional policy
| of considering their public debts in the light
of commercial transactions to be fully liqui-
dated at some future day. In other countries
the navm.>nt of public debts is proposition
not To- he Entertained. They are institu-
tions-a par.. as :. were, of the governments
themselves. In this country those who con-
tracted our public debt a. a'e Ins very parties
who are to pay it, and they never resi- an saI,
isned till it is fully lquidated, tona' and
t1ose created on two previous occas ,,Sa,r
wnlcn were far more burdousome con- =
ing The number and wealth of our people.
than the present one.
Of the ultimate extent to which the con-
struction Of railroads in this country will be
carried no estimate can be formed. They
are to become the common highways of our
people, and their progress in the future is like
ly to be much more rapid than in the past.
Even in the old States great extent of mile
age is now under construction. The adop-
ton OF narroac gauges, of from two to three
feet, by reducing largely the cost of these
works, will greatly stimulate their construc-
ton. There are now in the State of Massa-
chusetts one mile of railroad to every five
miles of area. A similar ratio for the whole
country would give an aggregate of more than
100000 miles of line! While such an extent
OF line IS hot possible, there is no doubt that
upon an area of 100000 square miles rail-
roads will be rapidly constructed, till the ra-
ito now existing In Massachusetts is reached.
Their progress will, OF course, depend largely
upOu that Of our population; hut their con-
struction will proceed in a ratio much more
rapid than that OF our numbers. One of the
most interesting facts in connection with these
works is the enormous power which our great
companies are rapidly acquiring, by means OF
consolidation ofconnecting or competing lines.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, for ex-
ample now controls, absolutely, 3,31S miles
OF line, the cost of which is $247, 7,970,632, with
earnings of $50,634 ,O04 for the past yearl The
same Company has an indirect control over
large additional extent of line Its revenues
are almost equal to those of an empire. Other
great companies are not far behiud. The
power possessed and welded by them, wheth-
er for good or evil, is now attracting unsual
attention, and must take the first place
among the subjects that are henceforth TO agi-
tate the public mind