The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-01-23
GENERAL.

Gushing has sent letter to the pres
ident asking the withdrawal Of his nomination
for chief justice and the president has acted
accordingly in a communication to the senate.
The governor of Kansas in his annual
message favors an increase of national cur
rency and the abolition of national banks :;
the election of United States senators by the
people the semi-annual payment of taxes
a constitutional convention and a repeal of the
law assessing railroads on their gross receipts.
The message of Hamilton r. Taylor,
reform governor of Wisconsin, denounces the
extravaganza of outgoing Republican admins
tration of the state urges retrenchment and
new sources of revenue by taxing express and
telegraph companies; would shorten Iegisla-
tive session to thirty days; asks laws for better
protection of depositors in banks; denounces
protection as fostering the east at the expense
of the west. Considerable space is devoted
to transportation. He doubts the propriety of
appeals to the federal government, but there
can be no doubt of the power and duty of the
state government to lesislate for the preven-
ton of railroad extoItion and monopoly. As
the best plan for regulating railroad traffic,
give the railroad companies full return for
running expenses, the repair of roads, and
fair interes. on the capital invested, which
should be sufficient to encourage the further
investment OF capital in this direction. All
discrimination in rates among shippers should
be prohibited and the classification of freight
and rates of fare should be subjected to mod
ification or revision by state authority. All
consultations or combinations between COM
panies owning parallellines of railroads should
be prohibited and he favors a railroad COM
mission.
Mr.. Hurlburt's bill, introduced in the
house, proposes the construction of a double
track freight railway, from New York to Coun-
Gil Bluffs, which branches to Chicago and st.
Louis. The railroad is to be constructed and
operated by corporation under the auspices
of the general government, and controlled by
a board of government commissioners. The
rates for transportation of cereals are to be
fixed at mills per ton per mile for any dis
tance over $50 miles, the entire length of the
road being fifteen hundred miles for shorter
distances than $50 miles, the rates are to be
little more than mills per ton per mile. The
road is to be operated exclusively as freight
road for cereals, stock, and other productions.
Trains will move at the quickest but the most
economical rate of speed, which will be at least
ten miles an hour. The cost of the road is
estimated at one hundred and seventy-five
million dollars, including the necessary rolling
stock. The government aid suggested is a
guarantee of per cent. interest on thirty mil
lion bonds. The capacity of the road will be
co. 20 tons day each way. The commission
ers are to fix the various rates of transporta-
ton aud make suitable provisions, for the
arec and safety of the freight carried. When
the road shall earn beyond what is necessary
for the payment of interest on the capital
stock AMI eight per cent. dividend, the rates of
freight originally established are to be re-
duced.