Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-01-23

City and st. Paul railroad. Within the
past two years the Burlington, Cedar
Rapids & Minnesota r. II. Co. has cx.
tended Its line so as to make direct con.
nections into Minnesota, and has built a
branch from Cedar Rapids to Postville,
in Allamakec county, there connecting
with the Milwaukee & st. Paul, and an.
other from Vinton westward into Tama
county, and has constructed the Musca-
tine Western from Muscatine to the
Iowa river. The Davenport & st. Paul
road is now in operation to Fayette. The
Chicago, Clinton & Dubuque r. r., (for-
mcrly the Dubuque, Bellevue & Mississ
sippi,) is in operation from Clinton to
Dubuque, whence the line is continued
northward into Minnesota by the Chica
go, Dubuque and Minnesota, with a
branch up the Turkey river to Elkport.
The Burlington & Southwestern road has
been extended through Appanoose coun
ty to Uni0nville, Mo. The Des Moines,
Winterset & Southwestern railroad is
completed from Summerset, on the Dcs
Moincs, Indianola & Missouri, to Winter
set. The Brownsville 81 Nodaway road
has been built from Villisca to Clarinda,
and the Burlington & Missouri from
Charlton to Leon; both of these are opera
ted by the Burlington & Missouri River
r. r. Co. The Sabula, Ackley &. Dako-
t. has been finished to Marion, and has
passed under the control Of the Western
Union r. r. Co. The Missouri, Iowa &
Nebraska Co., building from Alexandria,
No, on the Mississippi, and entering
Iowa in the southeastern part of Appan-
DOSE county, has completed its track to
Centerville. A short barnch has been
built from Newton, on the c., r. l. & Z.
r. r. A road, nine miles long, has been
constructed from Stanwood, on the Chi
cago, Iowa & Nebraska, to Upton, in
Cedar county The narrow guage has
been introduced into the State, and ap
piled to u short road running from Beu.
lab junction to Ekader, in Clayton
county; and it is expected that'another
road of this character will soon be built
from Des Moines to the Northwestern
railroad.
At the adjourned session of the Four
tecnth General Assembly, joint resolu
ton was adopted authorizing the GOV
ernor to spend such sum as might be
deemed necessary, not exceeding one
thousand dollars, to procure statistics
showing the actual cost of railways in
this State and throughout the United
States, the cost of operating the same, in
GLIDING all necessary repairs of rolling
stock and track, the actual cost Of trans
portation in this State by railway and
river, and in the United States by canal,
lake and river, and the cost of ocean
fret gifts for the past five years from the
United States to ports of western Europe,
and from the same ports to the ports of
the Baltic and Black seas, and other such
facts and statistics as would give light on
the subject of transportation, and thus
enable the General Assembly to be able
to enact wise laws in relation to that sub
ject, and that he report the same to the
next General Assembly An effort in the
direction indicated by this resolution
was sufficient to convince me that it
would be impossible for me to go over
this wide and important field of inquiry
without greater clerical force than my
office afforded, and much more extended
powers than any existing law seemed TO
confer upon me. | was unable to pro
cure facts outside of the published rail
way reports, and other commercial doc
uments Of this country and Europe, ex-
cept such as transportation companies
70 ynl. ri,
were ob.ainable from other sources and
to considerable degree conjcctural
The obstacles that would intervene in
my pathway in attempting to carry out
the spirit of this resolution will be appar-
ent, when it is considered that the Sen
ate of the United States adopted rcso
ton of similar import at its last session
appointing committee from its own
body to conduct the inquiry, to call and
swear witnesses, to travel from city to
city, from State to State, and from ocean
to ocean, and with leisure I'd devote the
entire season to the investigation.
AS l found that, with my limited leis
ure, and limited authority in the matter
of compelling testimony from railway
officials, most of what l was able to pro,
cure would be more or less colored with
the RAILROAD view of the question, l have
procured such statistical works upon
transportation as were to be obtained
one of which was a very full report to
both Houses Of British parliament, in the
compilation of which 4 parliamentary
committee was engaged several years;
and all Of which will be placed at your
disposal. With the aid of my private
secretary, have classified and arranged
some of these tables and other matters
which seemed to be salient points in the
issue, and combining them with few
original communications which were OBJ
tanned from practical disnterested and
intelligent gentlemen who volunteered
their assistance. it will be submitted for
such action as you may deem proper. 1t
is to be hoped that you may procure such
q number OF copies Of the report Of the
Senatorial committee as will furnish one
to each member of the General Assembly;
as it has cost great labor and will doubt
less contain valuable information
In my judgment the time has arrived
when limit to freight charges on our
Iowa railroads should be fixed by law.
During the past two years the construc
ton of railroads in this State has largely
fallen off, as compared with the biennium
preceding; and during the
year just closed, enterprises of this char
acter have practically ceased So long
IS this remains true, the hope of
railway rates through the
effects of increasing competition will be
'utile. 1t is believed by many that the
of railway building prior to
The recent financial disturbances, was
lue more than to any other cause, to
threatened restrictive legislation. And
his is no doubt in part true. 1t would