Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1881-02-03
cheapeuins Railroad Charges.
The St. Louis Republican
gives the following statistics re-
nari;.,n ra;irnnds in Illinois.

gives the following statistics re-
garding railroads in Illinois:
There are 1917 miles Of railway, mar
line and branches, in Illinois, and I,37i
miles of double track and siding besides
The fifty companies that own these road:
represent 500, 745,oI4 capital stock, being
an average of $2z,2s7 per mile. The cos
OF the roads as represented by the debt ant
capital stock is $3.50, 5zo,465, or S4LI4l
per mile. II is a notable fact that only
S7,S4I,7oo or less than per cent. OF the
whole capital stock is owned in the state
the bulk of it being owned by non-residents
The roads employ o4,s6I persons. The
highest average Of salaries paid to officers
is Ss,o77, and the lowest is $S25. The av'
erage for all the roads is Saga. The az
eregate OF salaries and wages paid to al
employees is $4e.427,z2e, or an average o.
SS2s per aanum- The gross earnings Of
the roads in 1880 were SI4o,o4q,675, and
their operating expenses were ST.. oo3,73S
The number Of tons Of freight carried in the
state of Illinois alone was S25, 2o7, 544.-
The average number of cars in each train
was 2IH, each car carrying an average Of
nine tons.
1t says the state commission
ers allude to the many cases Of
consolidation of different lines
of road and the tendency to-
wards Capitalization but, they
say no serious injury to the
rights of the people has yet re-
suited from the combinations
they also say that the CONSOLE
dalton gives the country quick
er transit, more security and
safety to passengers and affords
the people lower rates. 1t ad-
mits also that the general ten
dency of railroading in Illinois
is in the direction of reduction
OF both passenger fares and
freight tariffs. Passenger fares
have been reduced from 3 I-2
and 5 cents a mile to a uniform
rate of 3 cents a mile on all the
leading roads in the state, and
this has been attended nv A
marked increase in the passen-
ger traffic. 1t may be remark
ed that wherever low rates of
passenger fare have been adopt
ed the result has been increas-
ed passenger traffic and larger
receipts by the roads. Both
the roads and their patrons have
gained by concession of rates"
says the commissioners. Freight
rates have shared this reduc-
ton. In 1879 the average
charge for carrying freight was
I.55 cents ton per mile; in
1880 it was 1873 cents per ton
per mile. The difference in
rates between 1876 and 1880 in
favor of the people of Illinois in
the. matter of freights is sII,-
oI6,S7o.
The Republican, which is
railroad paper, says: "These
facts are a conclusive answer to
the demand for anti-railroad
legislation for the purpose of
Gripping the power of these
great agencies.
If the railroads will reduce
their rates without legislation it
will be well, but if they do not
then legislation becomes neces-
sary. In Texas the law allows
railroads to charge five cents a
mile for passenger tariff and
this rate has been charged since
the close of the war. The San
ia Fe is, we believe, the only
road in the state that has reduc-
ed the charge. Everything is
much cheaper now than it was
ten or a dozen years ago, and
there is certainly no reason why
there should not be reduction
in railway tariffs in Texas as
well as in Illinois or elsewhere.