The herald., 1898-11-22
NATIONAL OWNERSHIP
FAVORED BY THE RAILROAD
COMMISSIONER
GEN. LONGSTREET'S REPORT
Recommends a Government Railroad
From Kansas City by Air Line
to San Diego
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, Nov 2l.-James Long
street. commissioner of railroads, IN MS an
nual report made public today, calls atten
tion to the general prosperity IN railroad at
fairs. and recommends the government con
struttion and operation of flrst-class dou
ble-track railway from Kansas City. Mo-, t.
San Diego. Cal, by an air line route, tie
saws the physical condition OF our railroads
generally is better than ever before. lie
:. points to the spectacle of roads which Only
two or three wears ago We're in receivers
hands now paving dividends on their pre-
ferred stock and pling up surpluses which
in the course of a very short time, his re
port says, will be distributed among the
common stockholders. Many roads which in
1898 were forced to cut salaries 90 per cent
he saws have voluntarily restored the old
basis ri wages. In April, 1894, receivers con
trolled in this country 2l0 roads, embracing
about 90 per cent of the total mileage. On
June 30th of this year there were only III
railroads in the hands of receivers, and Gen
eral Longstreet predicts that under the pres
ent condition OF prosperity within another
year the list Of insolvent railroads will be as
1892 Reporting on his inspection of the
properties OF he Union Pacific and Central
Pacific and several OF the land grant lines in
the west and on the Pacific slope this
autumn, the commissioner says that substan-
tial improvements have been made on the
main lines, wooden bridges replaced by iron
and steel and the ballasting is more eXten-
sive and much improved.
He recommends Il government air line
transcontnental route in the following Ian
guage:
"The annexation OF the Hawaiian islands,
the possible and probable control of the
Philippine and Ladrole islands. must 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 we'll within the scope of rea-
son to anticipate their ability at an early
date to pay the principal and interest of
their debt to the United States.
"These new western acquisitions, with
Cuba and Porto Rico, producing tropical
products, our annual demand for which is
to the extent of 1925. 100000 tabout one t.iird
of our entire imports) will in few years be
entirely furnished from these new posses
sions and our own products taken in eX-
change, while now our exports to these is
lands, | believe, do not exceed SIS. 900 900
annually.
Heretofore under former sway. every ct-
fort has been made to discourage business
Intercourse with Americans. Under the
new order OF things in these islands every ef-
tort Will be made to encourage trade with
us, and when the population is doubled in
numbers and is increased ten times in abil-
lty to produce and consume. which is not an
unreasonable anticipation, what then Will
our trade amount to! 1t is almost impossible
to imagine. Less than 55,000000 British
colohlsts in Australia exchange products to
the amount OF $3.50. 100000 annually. 1t is
only reasonable to suppose that in few
years the trade with our new possessions
VIII tully equal if not surpass this, and the
United States must control the bulk
Furthermore, the vast volume of wheat
and ether cereals which now find their wav
from the middle western grain prairies to
ASIA and other countries of the western
hemisphere Via the Atlantic seaports will in
very few Years reach these same destina-
tions via Pacific seaports, and with this
changed condition will come vastly increased
tonnage and revenues TO all the transcon-
tinental lines. The diversion of this traffic
on this idea is now receiving the careful
attention and consideration of the executive
and managing officials OF some Of the lead
ing lines between Chicago. st. Paul and other
middle western grain centers and the Pacific
slope, and therefore it seems to me the in
tcrest the United States has in bond-aided
railroads and especially in the Central Pa
clhc should not be sealed, but that we have
every reason to look for the repayment OF
dollar for dollar, principal and interest
loaned and advanced by the government
originally to these corporations
1t may be time Just now to suggest tha t
lne government construct and operate first
class double-tracl road 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 Phladeipha
to the coast and along the coal fields of the
east and west this side of the Rocky noun
tains and making the most direct line from
our great commercial centers to the Sand
wich islands and the Philippines.
lhls, with other lines now working over
land. may prove ample for the wants of COM
merce to the Pacific coast and the orient
holding trade and travel within our border
pending the experiment OF a canal through
the isthmus.
All overland route from Vera Cruz. Mex.
lco, to Acapulco, now approaching comple.
tlon, may be an important adjunct to our
own overland route as commerce increases
ne nome advantages of an overland line
nealer together III Interests and sympathies
by the government VII, rraw the peope
ana W!li serve them as safeguard against
the monopoly OF corporations. As trade in
creases it may develop the Importance of a
dlrect similar line to Seattle. Wash.
st. Louis is ID little south Of the direct
line between New York and San Diego, bul
the Typographical features of the country IN
dicate that possibly better route may be
found from that point, and the bridge over
the Mississippi river at that point may prove
an important consideration. A survey.
therefore, by direct line should be made from
each OF these points,
lhe report says of the United States sub
sldy bonds under the acts of 1862 and 1864
TO and Pacific railway construction: There
nave matured S50,0lS. $50, of which $50. .4Sg.-
9o2 have been redeemed and paid out of the
treasury, leaving still due and unpaid sl2o
ooo' lhe remaining bonds vt thi, issue fall
que as follows: Union Pacific. Jan. |, 1899
- ,l2h0oo; Central Pacific, same. 9.l97. 900:
=" estern Pacific, same, 81 $50. $50.