Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-10-17

The statistics compiled by the Inter
state Commerce Commission for the year
ending June 80, 1906, show that the num-
Der of persons on the pay rolls of the
railroads of the United States was 1921
300. The total amount of wages and sal
aries paid to employees during the year
was S900S01 ,653. The number Of rail-
way corporations was 2,313, and the total
single-track mileage 224,363, of which
1871 was operated by receivers.
A report filed with the internal affairs
department shows that the Pennsylvania
railroad between Pittsburg and Philadel-
phia is 34S.S miles in length. Persons
travelling between the cities have been
charged for 353 miles, this being the dis
lance when the road was measured before
the company began Strengthening its lines,
and in the curves that have been removed
within the last year the distance has been
reduced four miles. There has been no
corresponding reduction in the mileage
charges. This reduction will be neces-
sary now.
The United Circuit Court of Appeals at
Denver has affirmed the decision of the
lower court against the Great Northern
railroad in the rebate cases, thus deciding
in favor of the government an important
point, to the effect that prosecutions I'M
der the old Elkins act are not invalidated
by the new Hepburn rate law The high
er court holds that the Hepburn act Is
amendatory and not repeating, and that go
far as it repeats portions of the Elkins
act it continues them in force, and that
in so far as it omits or changes the pro-
visions of the Elkins act it repeats them.
Every railroad in the State of Missis-
sippi was indicted by the grand jury at
Jackson for failure to furnish the State
Railroad Commission with list of passes
issued by them. This action is in line
with the indictments issued against the
Yazoo and Mississippi Valley and Illinois
Central railroads. The anti-pass law thus
invoked was enacted in 1884, and is said
to be the first anti-pass law enacted in
this country 1t had long been a dead
letter, but was resurrected by Prescott
ing Attorney Harris, who is now pur-
suing members of the Legislature and
State officers for accepting passes
An abstract of the Interstate Commerce
Commission report for the year ending
June go 1906, shows the par value of
outstanding railway capital to be s14,-
$40, 121, 17S, or $67, 1896 per mile Of rail-
road 1t appears also from this report
that over one-third of this capital did not
pay dividends. Nevertheless, the gross
earnings of the 300, $40 miles Of operated
lines were 81, 325, 765, 167, or S243, 282 ,761
more than the previous year. The net in
come was 1886, 1856, 1928.
Judge Lochren of the Federal Court at
St. Paul has issued an injunction tying
up the new commodity rate law pending
a final decree
The Nashville, Chattanooga and st.
Louis railway reports a decrease in its
net earnings for the last fiscal year of
about S250,O00 but this was more than
accounted for by the increase in charges
for improvements. The falling off, how
ever, was attributed to high wages and
increased cost of materials. President
Lowry of the Minneapolis, st. Paul and
Sault Ste. Marie dwells on the same
theme, namely, the great addition to the
cost of operation. resulting in decrease
In the years total earnings.