The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-05-10
LOOMSBURG, PA, FRIDAY. MAY 10, 1872
COL. DEM. -.- VOL. XXXVI-. NO. IL.

Dthuuktot 10 oOOh 90 obg BOiNiOa VI '''~
road is in operation. In fact, her reve-
nue. last year from tax on railroads was
| five hundred and ten thousand two hun
dred and ten dollars and twenty.six
cents.
We are not informed whether Mary
land has any general system or not, but
the Northern Central railroad company
pays an annuity of ninety thousand
dollars, although only thirty-six miles
of the one hundred and ninety nine
owned and controlled by it are in that
State. A comparison of the amount of
revenue derived by the State from some
of the railroads chartered by it and
those leased by them in adjoining States
may prove of interest in the solution of
this question. The Delaware, Lacka-
wanna and Western railroad company
has trunk line in this State one hun
| dred and fifteen miles long, and extend
ing from the Delaware river at the
Water Gap to the New York State line
near Binghamton. 1t holds in lease
also in the State of New York, the VAL
ley railroad extending from the State
line to Binghampton the Cayuga and
Susquehanna railroad, about thirty-four
miles long; the Syracuse and Oswego
railroad, about thirty-six miles long +;
the Greene railroad, eight miles long /;
and the Utica, Chenango and Susque.
hanna Valley railroad, about seventy
seven miles long. In New Jersey the
same corporation holds under lease the
Warren railroad, about eighteen miles
long, and the Morris and Essex railroad
and its branches, about eighty-four
miles long. IT also controls majority
of the stock in the Lackawanna and
Bloomsbury railroad, which is eighty
miles in length.
The committee is also informed that
q consolidation has been made by the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
railroad company and the New Jersey
Central, and the stock controlled by it.
The capital stock of the Delaware
Lackawanna and Western railroad
company proper, on the Goth of last
January, was nineteen million four
hundred and four thousand and one
hundred dollars, and its length one
hundred and fifteen miles; yet, al
though its tonnage and business is de-
rived from the coal mined and the
privileges granted in this State, il only
paid into the treasury, from all classes
of taxes, one hundred and fourteen
thousand six hundred and twelve dol
lars and twenty-three cents during the
year 1870, while it paid into the treas
ury of New Jersey last year, on ac-
count of the Morris and Essex road,
one hundred and sixteen thousand five
hundred dollars on capital stock of
thirteen million six hundred and ninety
eight thousand two hundred and fifty
dollars, or nearly six million dollars
less, and road thirty-one miles shorter.
Even the Warren railroad, an exten.
| sion of the Delaware, LackaWanna and
Western railroad company, which is
only eighteen miles long, paid the State
of New Jersey for the same year eleven
thousand five hundred and fifty seven
dollars and fifty cents for tax on its
capital stock. New York also derives
much greater proportional revenue
than Pennsylvania.
The Northern Central railroad which
owns or has on lease one hundred and
ninety-nine miles Of railroad in this
State and heavy coal tonnage, has
paid into the treasury on tonnage and
gross receipts during the past six years
an average of thirty.five thousand two
hundred and eleven dollars, yet pays
the State of Maryland annually ninety
thousand for thirty-six miles of road.
The investigation developed the fur.
ther fact that some at least of the rail-
road corporations owning coal lands in
clude their cost in the construction
account returned to the state. The Del
aware, Lackawanna and Western rail.
road company, for example, in making
returns of the characteristics of its road
reports in the summary of payments
the item of construction and equip
ment. This one item includes coal
lands, the value of which is unknown,
but which cost the company in the
aggregate five million one hundred and
forty thousand one hundred and five
dollars and siXty.one cents. This prac
tice we deem radically wrong, and such
composite companies should be com
PEELED to include in their construction
account only such items as laying track
extending road, etc.
Again, their charters, ia most instan.
ces, limit the number Of acres of Goa
lands that each can hold. The Delaware
Lackawdnna and Western owns il
Luzerne county, an aggregate o
twelve thousand four hundred ant
thirty-fUur acres. This does not include
all the number of acres of real estate
held, but simply what is supposed o.
known by them to contain coal, and o
that the corporation alone is the judge
1t may purchase five hundred acres ant
yet claim that only two hundred Of
is coal land.
The same company also claims tn
right to charge unlimited rates of freigh
although in this respect it is under tn
general railroad law of 1Si9. On thi
point General Brlsbin, the general ad
wiser of the company and one of it
managers, in his testimony, says; "rh
opinion, of our counsel is, and that
my opinion that where the transports
ton is in the companies cars, the ger
eral railroad law of Pennsylvania in
poses no limit as to the rate that ma
be charged f; but where the transports
ton is in shippers cars there is limit.
If this is true, the eighteenth section {
the general railroad law of 1640, whic
limits rates Of freight, is practically
nullity, and some new act should /
passed which will limit the tolls {
railroads hereafter to be created. Th
} codifed act Of 1868, relative to taXln