Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-08-03
Total track complete per mile .....S6 36s 90
Total for equipment per niile.....S2000 90
90

lOtnI .,....,.. .,..To, 900 W.
The cost Of right OF way in not included
and not estimated, but it cannot average
500, per mile, giving total average cost
per mile at Ss,46S.00. Let us place it In
round numbers at $S,50O.00 per mile.
The total miles Of lines in the United
States, 49, ,9s7, would only cost 81 ,265. 3s9, ,.
900, within the last year TO duplicate.
In this connection it Is proper to state
that Mr.. Geo. Gould, president of the
Missouri Pacific, stated in an interview in
the New York Herald last summer, that
the Missouri Pacific Company was build
ing and equipping first-class single track
railroad in Missouri with steel rails and
all oak ties, for $4,000 per mile. This
closely corroberates the figures of engineer
| Southwick. Railroad officials have been
careful about admitting the real actual
cost of railroads, and for the best OF
reasons. If Mr.. Southwick's estl-
mates are correct, then the railroads in
the United States could be duplicated for
81 ,265, ,Ss9,o00 Or, il we take Mr.
Gould's statement The railroads could be
duplicated for $l,7s7 ,44O 900. But we
will take the average S10,250 per mile
This seems the fNirest, or ST ,527 1l6, $50.
And now, Mr.. Editor, il the total cap
ital stock OF all the railroads in the coun-
try la over s4 900 100000 and the funded
debt Is about s3,s5O,O0OOOO, the capital
and funded (stock and bonds) debt are
1850 100000. This the railroads uae AZ a
basis on which TO draw dividends. Where,
in fact, il is fraud upon the public to
the tune Of Sc, ,32o sS3, $50, or nearly one
seventh of the wealth Of the tniiei
States these railroads are permitted to
levy and draw tribute from.
Over eighty per cent OF the railroads
capital is water.
also find on page l02 Of Mavericks
National Bank Manual the net earnin gs
per mile of roads in operation 10 he 81, 1876
which exceeds twenty rer cent on uclual
coat OF roads. II must I've remembered
these railroad magnaies vote themselves
large salaries al officers Of these roads and
then pay twenty per cent. dividend on the
| money acluhly invested III lhe rhllEOhur.
Twenty per cent is eight times greater than
the natural growth of the United States.
II the railroads are permitted TO continue
on in drawing dividends on one-sevenlh
Of the wealth of the United States without
returning one dollar equivalent, they will
in the course of time, absorb every dollar
Of wealth in The United States.
1t il bond Of Sl05, for every man,
woman aud child in the United States, for
which they pay dividends on. Ii an eight
per cent dividend is realized SS.i0 IL
what each personal assessment IL. A rich
royalty is 1t not? VIII The people say
that such commerce is good enough for
them, and will they say there rs not
enough involved in il to be worthy of the
consideration of either the old political
parties 30 as TO form plank in their plat.
forms, and will they say il is not nation
al question, over shadow 9, many olhert
that are being harped upon and ilauhed
TO the breeze OH every corner?
To CONTINUE.
Bowling Green, Ohio, July 20, 49,