Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1895-02-21

afternoon sent the following NOMINATIONS
to the legislature, which were confirmed
in executive session:
State bank examiner, H. A. Langlie,
OF Traill county.
State oil inspector, Geo. B. Wlnship
of Grand Forks.
BISMARCK, Feb. 1S.-The senate COM
mittee on railroads IN the Minnesota
Legislature has made an important re-
port 90 to the cost of railroads IN that
state. The report Gays the roads could
stand u cut of 20 per cent in transporta-
ton rates and still have q talr profit left
on actual cost Of construction and equip
ment. Some of the information, ob-
taineG from the most authentic sources
possible, is Of special interest IN this
state at present. The railroad mileage of
Minneeota IN 1893 was 1858 miles, the
average alleged cost per mile, 1890 to
1898. was S41, ,85l; gross earnings S37 ,O97,-
OO2.OO, expenses $22. .O69, ,724, net earnings
per mile, 1898, 81, ,561.36, including large
salaries for officers. The report says
that while material ana labor are getting
cheaper, the reported cost per mile of all
roaGs IS increasing. The reason IS the
watering of stock, and the report doubts
the truth Of data as furnished by the
roads as to cost of roads. and on which
rate is to be determined.
According to report of railroad com.
miseioners for 1890 the capitalization of
the Minnesota roads is too great by
half. With only few companies of
western roads does the capital stock
represent the money paid in. In these
cases localities or su subscriptions paid for
a certain amount of stock which was
wiped out in subsequent issues OF other
classes of stock. Stock OF railroads rep.
resent nothing but water as a rule, and
whatever is foated and sold is so much
gain to the OrlginatOrs of the enterprises.
The first mortgage bonds have generally
been sold even at great discount, for
enough to build and equip the road, and
SO r0ads that should chow an actual cost
of about $4,000 per mile, show debt
of $4,000 or $4,000 per mile in addi-
tion to the capital stock. There has
always been great difficulty in getting
at the exact cost of building railroads
and in equipping them. In the Con.
gressional Record the secretary of the
Central Pacific road is quoted as swear
ing that the whole road, built over
mountains and IN valleys, equipment
and all, was worth but $1O,535, per mile,
Of which $7.85S was cost Of construction,
the remainder for equipment.
The average cost OF building ia roads
in the United States, based on the cost
of building one mile of road, is about
ST., $50 per mile the calculation being on
30 roads in the New England and middle
states, one road in the southern states,
one in Mexico, eight different sections IN
the Northern Pacific, three roads in Wiz
consin, Is mountain roads west of the
Missouri river and 40 valley and foot hill
roads west of the same. The cost of
New England and New York state roads
over the rugged and mountainous sec
tions, including the New York Central.
willaverage less than $40 900 per mile of
single track.
Minnesota mas donated to the railroads,
according to the best authorities, over
100000 acres of land, or nearly one
third the area of the state, claimed to be
worth $8O,OOO,OOO. The average cost OF
the Minnesota roads is less than the
average for the entire country. It COM
pares most favorably with Kansas roads
which has been estimated at $4,000 per
mile. The report concludes that as the
net earnings are S2,345.56 mile, despite
extravagant salaries, and fierce rate wars
on through business, which it would
seem were profitable from their frequency
the companies could afford to cnt their
rates on state business ut least 20 per
cent without suffering hardship to the
actual cost of the Investment.
The legislator in North Dakota can
Judge for himself it the conditions as
above given are true, that an equal re-
bate in rates in this state would not only
be fair but even greater cut would be
just, considering the fiat prairie country
where the most of the railroad mileage is
contained. It is probably true that the
cost of building and equlpinR roads in
this state will not equal $4,000 an aver
age mile.
Senator R,nQdahl made the committee
report. It is said to be an exhaustive
search into the subject and a successful
bringing to light of facts bearing on the
cost Of roads and the claim 40 to the just
ness Of the prevailing rates. The doom
ment covers sc pages and was reported
to the Minnesota senate last Saturday.
ROUTINE.
Gov. Allin approved the clerk hire bill
which increases the amount from two to
three thousand dollars per year for his
Office and re-rates the clerk hire OF other
Offices; also the bill making trustees Of
institutions personally liable il they
spend, or contract to spend, more money
than the appropriation allows.
In the discussion OF Q bill relating to
druggists' permits to sell liquors, Jud
LaMoure said he was opposed to special