The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-22
RAILROAD Of HIS OWN
Railroad Commissioner Long
street Thinks
UNCLE SAM SHOULD BUILD
From St. Louis or Kansas City
to San Diego.

Washington, Nov. 21.-General James
Longstreet, the commissioner of railroads
in mis- annual report, made public today,
calls attention TO the general prosperity
in railroad affairs and recommends the
governmental construction Of a hrst-class
double-track railway from Kansas City,
Mo-, to San Diego, Cal, by air line route.
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 slands now paying dividends
on their preferred stock and piling up sur
pIuses which in the course of a very
! short time, his report says, will be dis
/ tributed among the common stockholders.
Many roads which in 1893 were forced to
cut salaries 20 per cent, he says, have
voluntarily restored the old basis of
wages.
In April, 1894, receivers controlled in this
country 210 roads, embracing about % per
cent Of the total mileage Of the United
States. On June 90 of this year there
were only 119 railroads in the hands of re-
ceivers and General Longstreet predicts
that under the present condition of pros
perity. within another year the list of in
solvent railroads viii be as small as in
the years Immediately preceding 1893.
Reporting on his inspection Of the prep
critics of the Union Pacific and the Gen.
trail Pacific and several of the land grant
lines in the west and on the Pacific slope
this autumn, the commissioner says sub
stantial improvements have been made in
the road beds on the main line; the bal
lasting is more extensive and much i'm
proved.
THE BODYBUILDING PROJECT.
He recommends air line trans-continen-
tai =2ute in the f@lowing language:
THE annexation of the Hawaiian
islands-the probable control of the Phil
ippine and Ladrone islands-m7Ist open up
new trade relations OF such growing pro-
portions with them as to so materially in
crease the business of all 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 western possessions. with Cuba
and Poro Rico, producing ropical prod
ucts-our annual demand for which is to
the extent OF 500, 900, Co., about one-third
Of our entire imports-will. in a few years
be entirely furnished from these new pos
sessions and our own property taken in
exchange. while now our exports to these
islands, believe, do not exceed 81, 900, 600
annually.
UNIMAGINABLE WEALTH.
Heretofore under former sway, every
effort has been made TO discourage BUSH
ness intercourse with Americans. Under
the new order Of things in the islands
every effort Will be made to encourage
trade with the United States and when
the population is doubled in numbers and |
is increased ten times in ability to pro- |
duce and consume, which is not an IN |
reasonable anticipation, what then will |
our trade amount to? It is almost i'm |
possible to imagine.
LESS than 65,0Oo,OO0 British colonists in |
Australia exchange products to the |
amount of $3.50, 900 600 annually. II is only |
reasonable to suppose that in a few years
the trade with our new possessions will
fully equal, if it will not surpass, ell this.
OF which the United States must and Will
control the bulk.
PACIFIC RAILROADS SHOULD PAY.
Furthermore the vast volumes of
wheat and other cereals which now find
their way from the middle western grain
prairies to Asia and other countries of
the Orient will be the source of vastly
increased tonnage and revenues TO all
the trans-continental lines.
The division of this very traffic on this
idea is now receiving the careful atten-
ton and consideration of the executive
and managing officials of some of the
leading lines between Chicago. St. Paul
and other middle-western grain centers
and the Pacific slope. and therefore it
seems to me the interest the United States
has in bond-aided railroads, and especially
to the Central Pacific. should not be
scaled but that we have every reason
TO look for repayment of dollar for dol
lar, principal and interest. loaned or ad-
by the government originally to
these corporations.
WHILE THE CANAL IS BUILDING.
1T may be timely just now to suggest
that the government construct and oper-
ate 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 coast, along
and near the coal fields of the east and
the west of this side of the Rockies and
making the most direct line from orr
great commercial centers 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 ana the
Orient holding trade and travel thin
our borders. pending the experiment of a
canal through the isthmus.
An overland route from Vera Cruz.
Mexico. 10 Acapulco. now approaching
completion, may he an important adjunct
to our overland routes as commerce IN
creaSes
The nome advantages Of an Overland
inc hv me government Will be u d..