The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-11-25
ARE MAKING MONEY.
Commissioner of Railroads Presents
Some Interesting Figures.
Many Roads Paying Dividends aad PHIng
Up urpIuses-Isee7mmeuds COnstruo-
tion By Government OF Road from
Kansas City 20 san Diego, Cal.

Washington, Nov. 22-Gen. James
Longstreet, the commissioner of rail-
roads, in his annual report made pub
lie Yesterday, calls attention to the
general prosperity for railroad affairs
and recommends the government con
struction and operation Of frst-class
double track railway from Kansas
City, No, to San Diego, Cal, by aiF
line route. This viii 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 1859
and 1864, to aid the Pacific railroads
construction, there have matured S5O,-
6IS, 592, of which $50, 4S9, 952 have been
redeemed and paid out of the treasury,
/ leaving still due and unpaid SI29, 600.
The remaining bonds of this issue fall
due as follows: Union Pacific, January
I, 1899, IS, 157, 600; Central Pacific, same,
| So, Ig7, 900; Western Pacific, same,
81, 65O, 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 surpluses which in the course
Of a very short time, his report says,
Z
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 go roads, embracing
about % per cent. Of the total mileage
OF the United States. On June so Of
this year there were only 1I9 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 viii 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
west and on the Pacific slope this
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 exc
/ tensive and much improved. he
recommends a government air line
| transcontinental route in the follow
ing language:
| The annexation Of the Hawaiian islands-the
Ia frzEl frnT 7F ina
and Ladrone fslauds-must open up new trade
/ relations Of such growing proportions with
them as to 50 materially increase the business
Of all the bond-aided roads as 20 be well within
the scope Of reason to anticipate their ability.
at an early date. to pay principal and interest
| Of their debt 70 the United States These new
eastern possessions with Cuba and Porto Rico
producing tropical prOducts-OuT annual de-
mand for which is to the extent Of S2Z5 O00. 0)8
about one-third OF our entire imports-will. in
few years. be entirely furnished from these
new posses siOns and our OWL products taken in
exchange, while nov our exports to these IS
lands. I believe. do not exceed Ga. 900 an
nualiE
Her tofore under former sway every effort
has been male 70 discourage business inter-
course with Americans Under the new order
OF things in these islands every effort viii be
made 70 encourage trade with US. and when the
population IS doubled in numbers and is in
creased ten times in ability TO produce and
consume, which IS not an unreasonable antici-
patton. what then VIII our trade amount TO- ~
is almost impossible 20 imagine Less than
55.OlG.O0I British colOuisrs in Australasia eL-
change products 70 the amount OF $3.50 .Oo0
annually. It IS only reasonable 10 suppose that
in few years the trade with our new posses
siOns viii fully equal II &c viii not surp1ss ali
This Of which the United States must and VIII
control the bulk
TurthermOra. the vast volumes Of wheat and
other cereals which nov find their way from
the middle western grain prairies 70 Asia and
other countries Of the eastern hemisphere via
the Atlantic seapOrts viii within very few
years. reach these same destinations via Pacl-
nc seaporis and with this changed condition
viii come vastly increased tonnage ana reTe-
nues 20 all the transe0ntinental lines The di-
version Of this verF trans on this idea Is now
receiving the careful attention and considers
tfOn OF the executive and managing ohlcials Of
some Of the leading lines between Chicago. St
Paul and other middle western grain csntsrs
and the Pacific slope and therefore Il seems 70
ne the interest the United States has IN bond
aided railroads and especially IN the Central
Pacific, should not be sealed" but that we
have every reason % look for repayment q
dollar for dollar, principal and interest. loaned
OF advanced by the government originally %
those corporations