, 1880-12-05
The Various Propositions on i
the Subject Of Refunding :
the Maturing Bonds.
Fernando Wood Urges a Few More
Reasons Why His Plan
Is the Best.
Improved Prospect for a Repub-
lcan Senator from the =
State Of Tennessee.

Arrival Of Congressmen-Postmaster
Maynard and the Lottery
Men.
THE LAND-GRANT ROADS.
ABSTRACT OF AUDITOR FREScH's REPORT.
.s+--lat Dtspa1>h to Tae Chicago Tribune
WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 4.-Theoph1lus
French, Auditor Of Railroad Accounts, has
completed his annual report The report is
devoted to the condition of the land-Grant
railroads in whole or in part west. north,
or south of the Missouri River. Mr.. French
says that during the past year the condition
of all railroad property in the United States
has been much improved, more especially
that Of the railroads west Of the Mississippi;
that among those railroads lying west Of tho
Mississippi the most marked improvement
has been on the great trunk line Of the Union
and Central Pacifc.C Companies, and OF which
the United States Government is creditor
to the amount OF nearly $50, 100000. Sta
bility of rates. even though rates have been
reduced, has given larger earnings, which,
in turn, have enabled liberal expenditures to
be made for maintenance and improvement,
W tAC 4uAllA1Eot AAt AItdeC u A4S' AAAs CAAAf3
public and shippers as we'll as Of the proper
ties themselves. As to the Pacific Railroads
proper, he says that branch lines have been
and are
IN PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION,
and still more are projected Steel rails aro
being largely substituted for iron rails; ties
are kept we'll renewed; grades are being re-
ducet. and bad sections remedied trestles arc
hQiror f311af pn1 rooh.hoffE 1rifnna1 ami ha /.
lasted; shops and station-houses are being
enlarged, new and improved machinery has
been purchased, equipment has been in
creased so as to meet tie requirements Of the
traffic. and in all this, while economy has
been studied. safety Of travel and public COLI
yenicnce have not been overlooked. At no
previous time In the history of these great
enterprises has the value of the properties
been so assured, or their prospects been so
good for
DENEFITISG THEIR OWNERS,
paying their debts, and serving the people
better aud more cheaply.
One chapter Of the report is devoted to q
history Of accidents, from summary OF
which it appears that OF the passengers who
travel by railroad in the United States, in
Guiding employees OH trains, in every $4,000
carried one is killed aud four are injured, ora
to state it differently, that in every II, 0,000,oO0
persons carried one mile one is killed aud
four are injured. The figures also show
that about one-fourth of the train accidents
are the result of defects in property, while
more than one-half are the result Of careless
ness, lack Of discipline, OF defective man-
agement
The continued improvement in the busE
ness of rail. 0aus is noted by the fact that for
the calendar year 1870, Us compared with
1878, the gross earnings Of nearly all the
railroads III the United States show an in
crease Of $40, ,000, COO, or about per cent.
The working expenses show an increase OF
$3.50, ,000, OF about ~ per cent, and the net
earnings show an increase Of SS., 500, 600, or
more than II per cent, while the increased
mileage has been about per cent, or neatly
4,S00 miles.
A NOTICEABLE FEATURE
OF this increased business is that It has oo-
cured nearly altogether on the railroads Of
the Middle, Western, and southwestern
States. the business OF those in the Pacific,
New England, and Southern States not Aav-
ing materially improved.
Mr.. French draws the following conclu-
sions from comparison of the Eastern and
Western railroads: First, that while tho
ratio of operating expenses to gross earnings
on these Western roads is, say. Sc per
cent, and OH the Eastern roads "a
per cent, the Eastern roads have done
three times the work at only double The cost
Second. that both these Eastern aud Western
railroads have reduced their rates per ton
per mile II per cent, and passenger rates
about per cent on an average. Third, that
the average haul, both Of freight ami passen-
gers, Oh the Western is nearly double that
on the Eastern roads. Fourth. that the aver
age rate per ton per mile on the Eastern
roads is down to the very low price Of less
than nine-tenths Of cent, aud the rate for
passengers per mile to ~ cents.
Some Of the roads have denied the author
ity Ut this Bureau to COMPEL them to submit
reports. They claim either that they are noI
laud-crant roads, OF that they are not IN such
= sense nd-grant roads as makes 1t lncum-
bent mon them to furnish the reports. The
course which Auditor French has adopted III
such cases is to use his Influence to prevent
the issuing of land patents to roads which
refuse to furnish the reports. On this sub
iect l1r. French says:
some of the railroad companies whose roads
art. included In the act creating the Bureau
have neglected and refused TO furnish the re-
ports called for. Among them are the Buriing-
ton s. Missouri River Railroad Company tn Me-,
braska, the Chicago, Burlington b Quincy HALL
roud Company, the Hannibal s. St. Joseph Ratt-
wuy Company. the Chicago. St. Paul, Minneapo-
lis Omaha Railway Company, and the St. Paul
Minneapolis T. Manitoba Railway Company, all
OF which have received valuable grants from tho
United States. Some other process than
suit for the penalty prescribed IL
desirublo, ~ The time Ei14in which