The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-02-21
THE COMMISSION.
THE THIRD ANNUAL REPORT IS
SUED YESTERDAY.
1t Is a Comprehensive and Interesting
Observation-Disclosures Wanted
and Recommendations Made
Relative to Express and
Construction Com
panies, Etc.


The third annual report of the rail
road commission was issued yesterday,
and it tells the story of the work accom-
plished during the year.
1t gives the total mileage of roads in
Texas at 9153; sidings and yard tracks,
1247 miles; total, 10,401 miles. The to-
tai value of the roads is placed at $685.
7S5, 159. or in round numbers per mile,
$15,926. Gross total earnings of the
roads, 4,197, 221; operating expenses,
$27 ,0OS,926.
APPROPRIATIONS.
We call special attention to the neces-
sity for making adequate appropriations
to enable the commission to promptly dis
charge its duties. The law charges the
commission with the duty of making and
maintaining freight and passenger rates
on all railroads in the state, and of en-
forcing all laws regulating and control
ling railroads. 1t is also charged with
the duty of valuing all existing railroad
properties and franchises and passing on
all applications for authority to issue and
have registered the stocks and bonds of
new railroads or old ones reorganized un-
der foreclosure proceedings, or from other
causes, and desiring to issue new bonds.
1t must also fix and regulate the rates
of charges of express companies, and hear
and determine all complaints relating to
freight, passenger and express rates.
no do this amount of work it has been
provided with means to employ clerical
force only about one-fourth as large as
that employed in general offices of any
first-class road in the state. In other
words, the railroad commission is eN-
pected to perform the labor necessary to
fix rates on all of the railroads in the state
with clerical force that could not tran
sact the freight business of any one
of the first-class roads in the state for a
single day with the promptness and dis
patch with which it has to be done, and
in addition thereto perform the other du-
ties imposed on it by law. Under such
circumstances the progress of the COM
missions work is necessarily slow, and
it will be much more so if there is any
diminution of the amount now appro-
priated for carrying on the clerical work
of the Office The work of valuing rail
road franchises and properties will be
| completed within another year; after
which expenses in that branch of the
work can be cut down to the salary of
one engineer. The appropriations for
transportation of members of the commits
sion, clerks, etc; for sheriffs' and wit
nesses fees and mileage, postage and sta
| tionery and for experts can, in our
opinion, be reduced $4,000 during the
next two years without impairing the etli-
cheney of the service.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
We respectfully recommend the enact
ment of law requiring express com
panies to establish and maintain general
! offices in this state where their accounts,
books, papers, etc, may be examined.
At present all of the general offices of
express companies doing business in the
state are kept outside of the state, and
the commission has no means of ascer-
tanning their indebtedness and the
amount Of their earnings and operating
expenses per annum.
| We also recommend the enactment OF