The New York herald., 1879-03-04

present report, and an average of 20s4 miles was
travelled by each passenger.
The horse roads carried 244 go. 1854 passengers
during the increase of 5.74s. .52s The num-
her of tons or freight carried by the steam roads was
SSs'2o.o's. an increase OF s,as57sa
The earnings for the year in the aggregate are
$50 t49 4ts ~ for the steam roads. an increase of
$432s.j46 43. For the horse roads. sls,o9o.5i3 H.
an increase of s13s.971 40.
The proportion of the above for this State is
sC4.t .7o7 81 for the steaa roads. The earnings
from the passengers was sl7 25o.792 %. and
from freight sal. .s37 1872 IL. and miscellaneous
s53e4, ,522 81
The total amount expended for maintaining and
operating the steam roads for the year was
$55. .sO7 $40 6a. a decrease of s96,olo So 80
The proportion for this State is $40 22s 76o ls.
The expenses for the horse roads amount 10
s7.soe'42e Us. decrease OF s5ss''7s w.
The interest for our railroads for 1877 aggregated
the sum OF $l5 5os ao2 A. of which sl4soSo 10 was
paid by the steam railroad companies the proper
tion for this State being $l039 l22 o. and the bal
ance sll4o.lI2 81. was paid by horse roads THIS is
an increase OF $l94 39 04 and sS35l O6 respectively
DIVIDENDS
There paid for dividends $1%.es2 164 As by the
seam railroad companies an Increase OF 81 s,s So
increase. The proportion for this State is
$40. O.45s .671 "a for the steam roads.
ACCIDENTS TO PERSONS.
The record of accidents upon the steam roads for
the year shows 329 persons killed and 567 injured,
total of SS7. OF those killed IL were passengers, SO
employees and 223 others.
The total horse railroad accidents s,s were 49, Of
which n were rive OF tnOSe killed were pas
sengers, 8 employees and 80 others
CONDITION OF THE ROADS.
The railroads of this State probably were never in
better condition than they are now this is evident
from the few serious accidents attributed to imper
feet roadway. Upon the whole the roads of State
fully equal to those Of other States This favora
bic showing must be credited to the companies them
selves, the State having no immediate supervision
over the details OF the roads. and only requiring
annual report of their operations earnings. ex
penses, &C. 1t is now conceded by the railroad COM
mssioners Of other States that their chief power lies
hiatt thar
secondary consideration. The first Is by law vested
in the State Engineer aud Surveyor OF this State. and
considering system' has been in use twenty-si
years without serious complaint may safely con-
clude that if the change is made in the report which
recommend the present laws amply provide for
the proper supervision of the railroads.
The State Engineer and Surveyor has made several
changes this in compiling the reports received
from the railroad companies. column has been
added to the tables giving the date of the charter Of
the road also the terminus. The receipts required
by law have been abulated for the first time this
year. full list of all the railroad corporations
formed under the laws of this State up to- tho 30th
Of September. 1873 showing the location Of the
road, their reorganization, consolidation. and If now
in existence has been prepared. change in the
form of report is not recommended until q simple
form shall be adopted by all the States. but the State
Engineer thinks balance sheet should be added to
the present form During the past year &c corpora
ions have been formed and 20 have become extinct.
In all 500 railroad corporations have been formed
under the laws Of this State, and 215 remain in
existence. The total number Of companies report
ing to the State Engineer and Surveyor is~ 2S5.
This includes IL companies formed under the laws
of other States and owning operating roads in this
State At the time required by law December y 100
companies failed to report and have rendered them
selves liable to penalty of $3.50, and S25 per day,
until the report received, companies have
only reported by letter, II have reported the
projects abandoned and IL have not reported The
State Engineer recommends the prosecution of oil
companies that have not complied with the law.