Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1872-01-11

of this State. Fourteen years ago,
| Governor Chase, speaking of the rail-
roads ofOhio. said: "This vast interest
Affecting vitality 80 many other inter-
ests, has grown suddenly to its present
dimensions without system, without
general organization, and, in some Inn
portant respects, without respectable
| ty.u Then the railroads of the State
carried annually about million OF
passengers, and their gross receipts
were about six millions of dollars
year, Last year they carried twelve
millions of passengers, and their gross
receipts exceeded thirty millions OF
/ dollars. ,!..,.,..rI .....,s -, ....,,..-i,.
tions which conduct this immense bush
ness. are derived from the laws of the
State. IF these laws fail to guard ade-
ouately the rights and the interests OF
our citizens, it is the duty of the Gen
eraI Assembly to supply their defects.
| Serious and well-grounded, apprehen-
sions are felt that in the management
of these companies, which are largely
controlled by non-residents OF Ohio,
practices not sanctioned by the law nor
| by sound morality: have become conf
\ mon, which are prejudical to the IN
terests of the great body fthe people,
I and which. it continued, will ultimate
tly destroy the prosperity of the State.
| Regarding railroads as the most use
I full instrumentality by which inter
course is carried on between different
sections of the country, the, people 40
not desire the auoption " y Ia nai - t,s,t ~
9nfrie, dly poilcy to@a,a 'aan lltn ith.t 4ESss
1t should peIeinetllnelsu '.,,s o;r
corporations were ereateu, - Az .r5tpa snI,r
valuable franchlsef lsil'tu Et ~ slle u
Legislature to promote the IN Interes.s 8
the people OF Inc Staoe interests ha,, ebs
Without violating the law OF its Origin. n.
II is not TO De doqpteu sIis tliea 70 as1sa
1 ity Of tae Generai As7settpIy 70 IL,
! tent to correct WhateFer aousts sf5aSss3 fl.lse
grown up IN the manageiillen q s' u 1t 'piie
railroads OF the STATE. 3,t.1.,,.s..,.
The late Com mnissioneIs q Isail, 5 osau7 ,a.1
and Telegraphs, iplnis iss a'iE s,Ap a.. !,
liable report, directs attention foI 10 q
large number OF What ne Terms Icie:1r q =,
and palpable yiolauons OF law, oy ralie
road companies, whlch are Oh ltS' lrequefit I1' fI
occurrence, ~. +; S.i,.T' ..s...is,-.-.,-.,,..
In relation to the ratees prescsrliDeq i't oy
law for the Transportation, OF persons .rseDlls
and property, he says: ~ ees y iiol
railroad operated IN the Ssate, eitlieI
under special charter orvtne general
| law, not ia some way 'y1oiateeu nearly
| every, time a regular passenger, or
freight, or mixed train passes over lt.'
7 2 AS to the laws. ulaung the s9ceu, N;e q,
patton, ofstreets and alleys py raIlroad
4 tracks, the speed Of LOCOMOTIVES yves IN IN
towns and cities, ana rallroaGss az Gross Gross
ingss he says that statuteS Wnlch ne re-
\ garded as wholesome are, 1T IS MOTOR encr
fous; wholly Ignored by some eomPa-
nies, and only partially oDeyed- oy .qtll- otn-
ers."I fIiysl,..-Y -e,st -;
He quotes the laws foroldding ralle :
road officials being interested IN IN last last
freight, express or transportation COM
panies, and from deallng In tran[spor1taa- rams III.
1 ton or railroad securities, ana adds
that S1the violation OF these laws IS pc
lieve to be. very common among rail-
road officials" ~ -. :.
The commissioner also gives exam Exam
/ piles of the increase Of waite ing STOCK S.
;sThe q foregoing statements are the lYs
most striking, in view OF i,,l the 1aet tnat tl,
the stockholders in the company nave
been in receipt OF the regular sehil-ail- :
nual dividend for several years, 20, y,
from six to enlper cent per ann9m-
Theisignificance of this remark I oL
the Commissioners lies in the faet that
the rates which raiIwayEeomPanies
may charge for the transportation OF
passengers and freight may be sPrescrl-
bed by the General Assembly, wReney-
er the profits amountto ten per CENT
on the capital actually invested: =, n.
The interests involved are OF ,sgch / a
magnitude that all legislation ougnt 70
be based on, the fullest and most arcu-
rate information which a careful lnves-
tigation can furnish. i, the fef0re, re-
commend that commission OF tiye cit
I izens of whom the Railroad 'CommIs-
] siOner shall be one, be organizer, with
ample powers to Investigate the man,
agement of the raiIlEroad companlleEs mi g. ., 3
the o.aieI ailtl ~ SGtatoand itS c;t;zans
and az to report the If formation acquired
4 with recomm mendation, Of such p meas
lures as the commission shall deem ! eX- X
4 pedient. ,iIt.-'-.t ~ Lea -6,ieg -.
i During the past year the travelling
pubIic has enioyed, in Ohio, tenlarka
] bIeimmunity from railroad accidents,
According to the. reports of the, raj
4 road cornpanies to, the rCOmmissioner
i not a single passenger has lost his life
nv the fault Of the railroads in the
l State. during the, y5ar. But the mum,
her Of persons "other than passengers,
4 and Of employes who have lost theil
lives. is quite large. One hundred and
Atty, seven persons are reported to haye
J heen killed. and it is: without douht
n Tint many deaths have occurred which
\ have NOT been reported. Many of thest
! fatal Accidents happened in the street:
nf towns and cities, and at street and
road crossings. It is perfectly practi
/ cahIe TO protect citizens from tflest
4 dancers. by enforcing proper regula