The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-22
AN AIR line ROAD
From Kansas City to San Diego
is Recommended
By General LOngstreet in His
Annual Report
TO THE GOVERNMENT.
Wants Uncle Sam to Build and
Operate 1t.
Would Have a Double Track All
the Way.

Washington, Nov 22.-General James
Longstreet, the commissioner of rail-
roads, in his annual report, made public
today, calls attention to the general
prosperity in railroad affairs, recon-
mending the government construction
and operation of a first class double
track railway from Kansas City, Mo-,
to San Diego, Gala, by air line route
He recommends a government transcon-
tinental air line in the following lang
uage:
THE annexation of the Hawaiian is
lands and the possible-probable-
troll of the Philippine and LadrOne is
lands must open up new trade relations
of such growing proportions with them
as to so materially increase the business
of all the bond-aided roads as to be
well within the scope of reason to an
ticipate their ability, at an early date,
to pay principal and interest of their
debt to the United States.
1T may be timely just now to Sug-
gest that the government construct and
operate a first class double track from
Kansas City to San Diego by air line
route. This will open the shortest line,
measured by the map from Boston, New
York and Philadelphia to the Pacific
coask along and near the coal fields
of the east and the west of this side of
the Rockies and making the most d1-
rect line from our great commercial CEN
ter to the Sandwich islands and the
Philippines.
This, with other lines now working
overland may prove ample for the
wants of commerce to the Pacific coast
and the Orient, holding trade and travel
within our borders pending the expert
ment of a. canal through the isthmus.
1.-The home advantages of an overland
line by the government will be to draw
the people nearer together in interests
and SympathieS and will serve them as
a safeguard against the monopoly of
corporations. AS trade increases it may
develop the Importance of a direct and
a similar line to Seattle, Wash.
''St. Louis is a little south of the di-
rect line between New York and San
Diego, but the typographical features of
I the country indicate that possibly a
better route may be made from that
point and the bridge over the MISSISSIPPI
pi river at st. Louis may prove an i'm
| portant consideration. A survey, there
fore, by direct lines, should be made
from each of these points,
He 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 hand now paying div
! idends on their preferred stocks and pill
ing up surpluses, 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 restored the
! old basis of wages. In April, 1894, re-
/ ceivers controlled in this country 21O
roads, embracing about 20 per cent OF
| the total mileage of the United States.
| On June 80 of this year there were only
| 119 roads in the hands of receivers and
| General Longstreet predicts that under
the present condition of prosperity with
| in another year the list of insOlvent rail-
| roads will be as small as in the years
| Immediately preceding 1892.
Reporting on his inspection of the
properties of the Union Pacific and Cen
! tral Pacific and several of the land
| grant lines in the west and on the Pa
| cfffc slope this autumn the commission
er says substantial improvements have
| been made in the road bed upon the
main lines, wood bridges replaced by
iron and steel and the baIlasting is
more extensive and much improved.