The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-31
IN BETTER SHAPE
RAILWAY AGE REPORTS ON RAIL-
WAYS FOB 1897.

NoYear Since 1887 Has Shown SO small q
Number of Roads or Low n Total OF
Railway Mileage in State of insolv-
ency-Compared With the Five Years
Prsceding the Number of Receiverships
is surprisingly smaii-Chicago CON-
nittee Formed to Oppose tho Anti
scaIpius BnI-Ofher Railway News,
Chicsgo. Dec. 30.-The Railway Age
makes the following statement of the
receiverslips and foreclosures for 1897:
"No year since 1887 has shown 50 few
solvency, while compared with the
record for any one of the five years i'm
,nediateiy preceding 1897, the list OF
new receiversnips in the last year is
surprisingly small, in respect Ito the
number Of lines, mileage and capital in
yolved. In 1894 no less than "A COM
panies, with 29,340 miles Of road and
s1,7s1, 900 OF bonds and stock, defauEted
in their obligations and were turned
over to the control of the courts In
1897, the number of similarly unfortu-
nste roads was IS, their mileage was
10,157 and their capitalization was less
than sS0,0o0,0Oo The number Of roads
in 1895 was "a, the mileage 5,441 and the
capitalization 1926, ,357, 900.
ANTI-SCALPENG BILL.
.sf yzf1
business men will go to Washington
for the purpose Of appearing before the
senate committee in behalf of the bill
Prohibiting the scalping of railroad
tickets. The delegation viii be heard
before the committee on January Z,
and il Is said that delegations Of busi-
ness men from other cities win be there
at the same time. The members of the
Merchants and Travellers association
are eager to make a strong fight on be-
half of rne brokers on account of a cir
cular circulated among the members of
congress saying that their stand in fav-
or Of the bill was NOT in good faith.
The volume of westbound freight that
is passing over the western roads is so
great as to astonish the traffic officials
There is usually li-tle traffic at this time
of year, but now the roads are having
all the trade tnah they are able to
handle. The amount Of business viii
cause an increase OF earnings Of nearly
every western road, Notwithstanding
the demot allied condition Of the freight
rates both east and west from Chicago.
A mcetin gof the executive commit
tee Of the Western Passenger esSocia-
ton was held today but nothing was
transacted except routine matters
1t is expected that a general meeting
of the Western Passenger association |
will be held in the near future To induce |
the Union Pacific to become member |
of the association The officials Of that |
road nave not been in a position to say |
what they viii do, but now that the |
presidency of the road has been filled |
and with a man who is genei ally sup |
posed to be favorable to associations, |
there VIII be as little delay as possible /
in making inducements to the Union
Pacific to become a member of the
organization.
MICHIGAN RAILWAYS.
Lansing. Mich, Dec. 30.-Sybrant
Wessselius, state railroad commissioner,
has submitted to the governor his an
nual report. In addition to the usual |
statistical and advisory matters, the
report recommends: Increase of the
tax upon railroad properties, to be ac-
complished by general revision of the
law taxing all quasi-pubiic corporations
and not limited TO railroads only; repeal
Of al laws prividing for tax on gross
as being unfair to the prop
eTty of private individuals not having
this privilege; all railroads should not |
be taxed alike, because their franchises
are not of equal value. In determining
the value of the franchise the earning
power should be considered, but for no
otner purpose; payment of all taxes
realized from corpora tons to the state
treasury; heavy penalty inserted in
sll tax laws governing taxation of cor
if the tax is not paid when
lue. 30 as to discharge appeals and
ong delays in the courts.
THE CHICAGO RIVER.
Chicago. Dec 30.-A memorial to con-
'NoS oShfAA6 III hlS Improvements |
ne Chicago river was adopted today by
ne joint committee representing the
government and tle COM
nercial organizations of the city. The
ederal government is asked to extend
he channel from deep water on Lake
Michigan to the docks and wl1arves
dong the Chicago river, with a uniform |
lepth OF twenty-one feet, for the pur-
'ose of affording better facilities for
rans-ahipment between the railroads
nd the great lake carriers.