The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-16
REPORT OF COM MISSION
REVIEW OF WORK DONE DUR
ING PAST YEAR.
CONDITION or RAILROADS or THE STATE
Nearly 10, 600 People ia North Carolina are
Engaged in Railroadng. Telegraph and
Telephone Property Increased
in Tax Valuation.

read Commissioners has submitted to
the Governor its eight annual report,
embracing u statement of all the bust
ness transacted by the railroads In the
State during the present year, together
with that of telegraph, telephone and
steamboats,, also the valuation OF the
property of each as assessed for taxa
ton.
The Commissioners, in their letter TO
the Governor, point to the following re-
suits of their administration of the Of
flee during 1898:
Increased tax valuation of telegraph
and telephone property, 81 ,462, 16S.9o.
Discontinuance of free passes and en-
forcement of the free pass law.
Railroads required TO refund over
charges within thirty days after notice.
Freight rates on fertilizers reduced
% per cent and ON corn 10 per cent
Mileage books made good for mem
bers of purchasers family.
1T was the desire of the Board to
have the telegraph and express com
panies contribute TO the maintenance of
the late unpleasantness with Spain. by
the payment Of the tax imposed by Con-
gress upon all bills of shipment and
messages handled. The express COM
pany complied with an order of this
Board, requiring the carrier TO afflx the
stamp-but after being enjoined, and a
decision of the courts, the Board was
compelled to rescind its order touching
the payment OF said tax by the tele-
graph company, and the Joneses pay
the freight
THE telephone charges have been
considered by us, and action taken,
making reduction III the rates charged.
A determination thereof must await the
adjudication of our State courts, where
the same is now pending.
THE reduction of the passenger rates
upon various roads of the State has
been under consideration and has re.
ceived most careful attention, and while
no general reduction has been made, the
Board, in its judgment. selected the
great systems. and after gathering all
the Information POSSIBLE. reduced the
rates on the Wilmington and Weldon
line from 81 cents to 2la first class, and
from %, TO 2 cents second-class, this
line being By far the most able to stand
the reduction This matter is now
pending in the Federal courts
The same questions of Jaw, and almost
of facts. arose in the. consideration OF
1.-The reduction of the RATES upon the.
Raleigh and CASTOR road as in the VIII
, miifgton and Weldon road, and the
Board not desiring. to multiply the ac-
tons in courts and add expenses to- the
State. ordered the decision in the Raleigh
and Castor withheld, to abide the deci-
sion in the cause now pending.
In addition to the act creating the
Commission. the rules of procedure and
the usual tables. this report contains, in
full, all the decisions and adjustments Of
complaints during the past year. The
first 334 pages of the report is devoted
to this latter purpose and in the last
go pages are statistical tables concern
ing assessment and taxation of rail-
road, telegraph and telephone property;
capital stock and funded debt of the
companies, and statement of the earn
ings and operating expenses in detail
The report shows the following rail-
road property in North Carolina
Atlantic Coast Line. 7SS.S7 miles,
valued at S9,779,875.S0.
Southern Railway Company. 10000
miles, valued at S10.565, 1920.
Miscellaneous roads, 1,O7S.30, valued
at So, T00, $3.50.
This makes the total mileage of the
State 3,477.99 miles, and it's total yalua-
ton $4,000, 931 30.
The total assessed valuation Of the
steamboat property Of the State is S293,.
937; total assessed valuation of tele-
graph companies. $685. $40; of Pullman
Car Company property, S96,91S.15, and
of the property of the Mercantile Trust
and Deposit Company, $326,011.W.
This make the total assessed valua-
ton of the railroad. steamboat and
telegraph property of the State S33,'
619. S6S.19.
The total number of men in North
Carolina engaged in railroading Is
1896. divided as follows: The Atlantic
Coast Line, 2,916 men; the Southern
2.66S: thu. Seaboard, 2,O4S; miscellaneous
roads, 1884
The gross income OF the Atlantic
Coast Line, from all sources, is $1.2S;3',
262.2 gross income of the Southern
Railway. 81, 124 4S9.0S; Seab0ard All
Line, S157, 4S3. 40; miscellaneous roads
S505. G09.36.
During the past year $50 persons were
injured on the railroads and 80 were
killed. On the Atlantic Coast Line y
were injured and 33 were killed: OF
the Southern Railway 453 were injured
and Al were killed; on the Seaboard All
Line 101 were injured and is wcre
killed, and on the miscellaneous roads
were injured and Z were killed.
or the 90 persons killed on the roads
Of the State, only , were passengers
They were on the Seaboard Air Line.
az the 7S0 injured II were passengers
~ Of them on the Atlantic Coast Line
40 on the Southern aud II on ;he Se's-
board Air Line.
The report is perhaps the hest an(
most complete yet issued by the Com
mission. II is. as have been al Ia