The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1898-11-24

Washington. Nov 22-Gen. James
Lougstreet. the commissioner of rail-
roads, in his annual report made pub
lie Yesterday, calls attention TO the
general prosperity for railroad affairs
and recon nends the government con-
struction and operation OF n tirst-class
double track railway from Kansas
City, Mo. To San Diego. Cal, by air
line route This will open the short
est line, measured by the map, from
Boston. New York and Philadelphia
To the Pacific coast, along and near the
coal fields Of the east and the west
this side of the Rockies and making
the most direct line from our great
commercial centers to the Sandwich
islands and the Philippines.
The report says of the United States
subsidy bonds under the act of 1852
and 1864. to aid the Pacific railroads
construction, there have matured $50
6tS. j92, of which $50, 4S9 9j2 have been
redeemed and paid out of the treasury,
leaving still due and unpaid Sl29, 600.
The remaining bonds of this issue fall
due as follows: Union Pacific. January
l, 1899. s., I57, 900: Central Pacific, same,
50. 1917. 600; Western Pacific, same,
81, $50, 500.
Commissioner Longstreet says the
physical condition of our railroads
generally is better than ever before.
He points to the spectacle of roads
which only two or three years ago
were in receivers hands now paying
dividends on their preferred stock and
piling up SURPRISES which in the course
of a very short time, his report says,
will be distributed among the common
stockholders. Many roads which in
1898 were forced TO cut salaries 20 per
cent, he says, have voluntarily re-
stored the old basis of wages. In
April, 1894. receivers controlled in
this country 30 roads, embracing
about 20 per cent. of the total mileage
of the United States. On June 80 of
this year there were only Il9 railroads
in the hands of the receivers, and Gen.
Longstreet predicts that under the
present condition of prosperity within
another year the list of insolvent rail
roads will be as small as in the years
Immediately preceding 1898.
Reporting on his inspection of the
properties of the Union Pacific and
several of the land grant lines in the
autumn, the commissioner says sub
stantial improvements have been made
in the roadbed on the main lines,
wooden bridges replaced by iron and
steel, and the ballasting is more ex-
tensive and much improved. lie
recommends a government air line
transcontinental route in the follow
ing language:
%. Rq.
possible. probable control OF the Philippine
and Ladrone is!auds-rnust open up new trade
relations Of sucu growing proportions with
them as TO so materially increase the business
OF ali the bOnd-aided roads as to be well within
the scope Of reason to anticipate their ability.
at an early date. TO pay principal and interest
OF their debt to the United States These new
eastern possessions with Cuba and Porto Rico
producing tropical products-Our annual de-
mand for which is to the extent OF s255 900 900.
about one-third Of our entire impOrts-will in
few years, be entirely furnished from these
new possessions and our own products taken in
exchange. while now our exports to these IS
lands. 1 believe, do not exceed .l5. 900. 600 an
nualy
Heretofore under former sway every effort
has been made to discourage business inter
course with Americans Under the new order
OF things in these islands every effort will be
made TO encourage trade with US, and when the
population is doubled in numbers and is in
creased ten times in ability % produce and
consume, which Is not an unreasonable dnticl-
patton. what then will our trade amount 20: II
is almost impossible 70 imagine. Less than
So. 90, O0J British colonists in Australasia ex-
change products 70 the amount Of $3.50. COO 90
annually. It IS only reasonable TO suppose that
in few years the trade with our new possess
sions viii fully equal II IL will not surpass all
this. Of which the United States must and viii
control the bulk
Furthermore. the vast volumes Of wheat aud
other cereals which nov find their way from
the middle western grain prairIes 10 Asia and
other countries Of the eastern hemisphere via
the Atlantic seaports viii. within q very few
years. reach these same destination via PACT
&c seaports and with this changed condition
will come vastly increased tonnage ana reve-
nues to all the transcontineBtal lines The d.
version Of this very traffic on this idea is now
receiving the careful attention and c0nslGera-
tiOu OF the executive and managing officials Of
some Of the leading lines between Chicago, st
Paul and other middle western grain ccnters
and the Pacific slope and therefore IL seems 20
me the interest the United States has IN bond
aided railroads and especially IN the Central
Pacific, should not be scaled, =" but that
have every reason % look for repayment o.
dollar for dollar. principal and interest. loaned
or advanced by the government originally %
those corporations