Daily Republican., 1879-02-05
FIRST EDITION.
large Observation-Disclosures
lssipst the Delaware Railroad
rhe l.aagusxe Ofthe Blll.

large Atb3o0ouce-1seBs
ssipse the Delaware Railroad
Fhe langusSe 0fthe Bill.
ecisl 10 the Republican.
DOVER, DEL, Feb. 4th, 70.
There WAS = general turnout to day
fruit growers coming from different
ksions Of the State. The most success
producers Of the three counties were
sent. Prominent among those atten'
g we're Ex-Governor Cochran and
uusl Townsend. The committee hav'
secured the House chamber, went
session at l.30. The prominent
Of tn. movement occupied the floor,
lie the smaller fry, cross-legged, 90
bied seats in the lobby In honorable
Imposition with the legislators with
ON they chatted and sonverssd oveI
possibilities Of the coming crops
ator Rust of the railroad COMMITTEES
sided.
Upon the opening Of the meeting Mr.
lliam Green, Of Middletown, of the
it growers committee said: l shall
take it for granted that you know
hing Of the railroad matters as they
ate 70 the people of our State. as
ms that you know that an excessive
light is sxacted whenever poss. ole "a
it on. | assume that you know tha,
it culture generally has not been
khly profitable and is now utterly
sbl. to bear the impositions. pro,
~ to treat the matter from a railroad
Andpoint. | expect to show that the
|treme freight is not required either
bm speed which fruit trains are car
I'd, or is not necessary to the railroad
bm amount Of tax levied Upon it to
m fair return for the money inves-
in their property.
The capital stock of the p, W. Il b.,
about ell, ,OOO, 900. Their net earn
rs are at least ten per cent. upon the
Foperty as 1t stands upon the books,
Ibject to no depreciation Of act ual va.
ktion which has shown such shrink
ks in other possessions. The estima-
n valuation from calculation to be
|ads at the present scale Of the cost of
bilding and squipping, damages, etc.,
much short OF the amount at which
is nominally marked. The property
their excessive figures, stands at a
hluation equal to cost of construc'
bn, etc.-Sl00, 900 per mile, while
trhaps one-third Of the amount, GER
Iinly one-half would bs what the
|operty conld be duplicated for, and
10 earnings in the one case are 80
tr cent, in the other 20 per cent. in
resent and actual value.
Can the people Of Delaware allow
pch first lieu upon their annual re-
,urces from the property which has
spreciated full 50 per cent. AMI from
hich we CLEAN scarcely an existence.
his corporation is of Massach husetts
Rnership, shall We not msts out a
usetts law. said to be well tried
nd found eminently successful in prac-
ce. From the report of the Massa-
lusetts railroad commissioners may be
I'D the following statistics.
Boston 4 Albany is 20 miles long;
vt road equipments, real estate, &c,
80, ,00O, 900; taxes, State and local,
3,55, ,555; per centages Of earning on
,tal property, 7 per nt;freight charge
D through or foreign fruit per ton 20
'nts.
Boston q Providence, A miles long.
oast road, &C., 81, ,404, 320.O7; taxes,
,2l. 50; through freight charges per
IN per mile (cents) , $40; salaries for
i the general officers and their clerks,
., 900.
?. W. & B. K. K. in the State of Del
ware, 80 miles. Taxes, $40, 900; sal
" of one president, 1920
The average weight OF freight carried
y the Massachusetts, road in one
ain 2 5 cars is ~ tons; same for
uits 200 tons.
To carry one ton OF paying freight
le Massachusetts, roads carry over
tons Of dead freight made up by
comotion and corn. TO carry one
IN of fruit y tons of dead freight is
Irried.
As to the question of remedies, every
'untry profting by railroads have had
meet the problem of mitigating their
7ils. In Belgium the government own
} per cent. of the railroads and run
lem for the public advantage. France
I'd Prussia have . part ownership in
4 roads and run them under strict
surveillance prescribing
7ery rate for freight and even seized
ls Of time for passenger trains. Eng
md has for twenty years been solving
lie problem carrying in her plans tor
late ownership to restriction and re-
nlating legislation.
Some of the railroad charters contain
81 sections prescribing the charge
er mile for articles, even for pig or
calf. She has abandoned these plans
porting that "the i'll success of the
tempt may we'll justify hesitation in
ltering upon further general legislation
the Same kind, as the present com
issioners having some judicial pow
rs backed by free regulations enact
tents wonderfully replace the other
rms.
Massacb usetts and nine other States
ave adopted about the same means
control. In the West the Granger
ws were the first fit medium of meet
g these usurping monopolie and beat
g down their strength. The commits
Oh is adopted and few complaints
en- the public or corporations are
card.
In behalf of the bill which we offer,
na ., 4 l..ko. kLa~ 90 nra tha Ia