Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-12-30
KANSAS RAlLRCADS.
Interesting Figures shown by the Repor
Ct t,,r Railroad Commissioners.

Ct the Railroad Commissioners.
The Kansas Railroad Commissioners have
FiiUe their report to the Governor, from
which are taken the following interest
/ iig extracts:
An Inspection CT the railroads operated n this
State show that their condition HIS been well
maintained and some have been considerably
/ improved. All the leading lines are in fine
order and arc maintained in the highest degree
Of efficiency.
seyeral Of the lesser rods which were few
years ago allowed to get out OF repair have been
! brought 10 a proper condition. especially the
Missouri, Kansas & Texas and the Central
branch. Tao r02GDed of the Central branch
a5'e f.le crossties in cellent condition. but
!. considerable portion Of the rails need i,ntne-
Ciate replacement with new steel.
The work OF additional roiiroad building has
been progressing with most remarkable celer-
Ity M s2t:5ds the past year Up to November
, l, ESQ. upward Of nine hundred and fifty miles
Oi mex road was built: the work OF tracklay
ing VIII continue with usabated vigor until
winter suspends operations. We deem cur
selves justified in the expression of the belief
taaL by the end Of the year fully one thousand
miles Of new roads viii have been added to the
railroad milegage Of Kansas the present year.
The number Of miles Of new railroad built Ia
the United STATES the past year, up to Novem
|
States in respect 10 the construction OF new
mileage
1t must be evident from the number of new
lines projected b. responsible companies into
ovcry portion Of Kansas, and the eagerness
| manifested by those companies to occupy terri
tory in the State that the voting of bond aid by
cities counties and townships to aid in their
construction is rendered wholly unnecessary.
Railroads viii be built in Kansas in the future
F,-- +l,rr- f;.,f and tnh facf
than the conditions existing will afford many
Of them reasonable support, without the vot
ING Of another bond. But SO long as the law
remains upon the statute books permitting
cities, counties and townships TO vote bond aid
and thus burden themselves with taxation for
long period Ia the future. 1t will continue to be
done. = Is the easiest thing In the world to
tempt vote CT this kind by provoking local
r!valTfes over a projected but not definitely
located line. The argument that If you don't
vote the aid the road viii run through an adtoin.
ing township city. instead of through the
particular locality whose aid is asked, is ire
sistlhle. It is not 20 be expected that railroad
companies, whose intense rivalIies lead them to
hH'!d upon the most economical scale. or with
the least expenditure of their own money. will
resist the temptation of asking aid when it can
be so easily obtained We think the people OF
this State should be relieved from any further
burdens Ct Ills character In the past, most
serious mischiefs have grown out of the practice
of voting this class of aid and though the Law
Is more guarded in It's provisions TO prevent the
practice OF fraud than formerly. Il will be inevi
table that thousands of citizens will come to
find Themselves taxed to support enterprises Of
moro than doubtful utility. The only way to
protect The people is to repeal the law.
Thc extent 20 which the public is voting bur.
dens upon itself to aid railroad enterprises is.
when summed up. quite startling. Up to 1884
there had been voted and issued by counties,
cities and townships in this State for this pur-
pose the aggregate sum OF 80 sol 3S5 80 in bonds.
\ considerable portion Of this bonded debt has
passed through The courts. wherein the legality
Of The issl;e and validity of the bonds were put
In issue AID litigatcd. The almost invariable
result has affirmed the binding nature of these
obligations. Even at the present time proceed |
ings are pending before the United States Cir |
cult Court for Kansas, having for their object |
tile coercion OF tax evies for the payment of de-
faultcd interest upon some of them.
From information derived from answers ad |
dressed by this Office to the county clerks of the
different counties in the State. il appears that |
since July /, 1885, to Novenb II /, 1886, there |
has been voted by counties cities and townships |
tie agrrCgate sun OF &1nl5l,Goo
THIS is being continually increased by fresh |
bond voting. Add to this the vast aggregate OF |
debt incurred for school houses, court houses, |
bridges. watcrwCriis. etc, and it will be seen |
That the people OF the State are assuming a bur |
den too great TO be borne.
TIE GUILE COLORADO & SANTA FE
Concerning the purchase OF the above road the
report contains the following:
The fact IS noted in another part Of this re.
port that the Atchison, Topeka 81 Santa Fe |
Railroad Company has acquired, By exchange OF
the stock of that company 10 the amount Of
S4,5;20Jo for the same amount OF the capital
stock Of the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe, the
ownership Of the last named road. The ex-
change referred TO absorbed all but a merely
nominal amount Of the capital stock of the last
named road. The number OF miles of road en-
braced in the purchase is 53j. The completed
lines extend from Galveston to Fort Worth.
Since its acquisition by the Atchison com.
pany the road has been extended north from
Fort Worth. ut this writing upward of sixty
miles, and line is being pushed through the In
dian Territory, south from Arkansas City, Kan,
10 meet the line being built from Fort Worth.
We regard this most important acquisi-
ton. both for the future OF the Atchison system
and as affecting the trade and commerce OF
Kansas. Texas comprises vast territory
large portions OF which are well adapted TO the
growth of cotton. Already the production of
this staple has become leading feature in
Texas agriculture. The conditions that prevail,
viz, cheap lands. a favorable climate and the
rost profitable product in the State. On the
Dther hand, Kansas is better adapted to the
yrowtn of wheat and corn. Already q large and
constantly increasing demand from Texas for
Kansas wheat and -four and corn has sprung up.
The Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe traverses the
,otton regions Of that State and the connection
between that and the Atchison system in Kan
;as viii give ready and cheap access to a vast
egion which viii create an ever-increasng de.
l1and for leading Kansas products
What Kansas needs is Il market for her f1ouY
md cereals nearer home than is afforded by the
PRICES based on foreign demand. We confidently
Expect that the building of Il system of railroads
between TcTes and Kansas will solve that
,roblem.
ion have been filed in the States of Illinois,
Owa and Missouri. having for their object the
building of 4 system of lines from several points
n the Missouri riyer-kanSaS City, Atchison
nd St. Joseph-through Missouri and Iowa to
he Mississippi river. and from several points on
he latter river leading TO Chicago. to be oper.
ted in connection with the Atchison, Topeka g.
santa Fc system.
Compared with the number of tons carried BY
be railroads reporting to this Office with the
Onnage for the year before by the same compa- |
les. and also the last two years, respectively, |
he following net results appear: The aggre- |
ate net increase in the number of tons of |
eight hauled for the year ended June go 1885,
with the corresponding period of the |
revious year is 705,21S.07 tons. Notwithstand. |
lg this increase in the amount of tonnage car ,
led. the aggregate net decrease in freight earn. |
lgS for the year ended June 80. 1876 compared |
18th the corresponding period of the previous
ear. amounted to The sum of 81. 495, s0917.
The total gross earnings from all sources, a,
for the year ended June 20. 1885,
(, .G6 $500. Increase over the year endes I
me 10, 1SS5 of 81 .S4S.4lS.25. 8
The steamship Fulda. which ar 6
wed at New York recently, had on ,
oard the LARGEST shipment of live En- I