The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-15
RAILROADS
RAILROAD MILEAGE
INCREASES
CANADIAN ROADS REPORT FLAT.
TERlNG GAINS IN TRAFFIC
REVENUES.


mileage of 23,750 miles, an increase of
1900 miles during the year just closed,
and 1927 miles of road now under
contract, and an enormous increase in
railway traffic-these are chief state
ments of fact, just announced by the
Canadian minister of railways, respect
ing railway progress in the Dominion
during the year 1908. From 1899 to
1908, the amount of railway traffic
carried in Canada has grown by leaps
and bounds, the increase during the
nine years being 1O4 per cent. The fig
ures for the last year show a good
increase over the previous year, par
ticularly in the passenger business,
over 100000 more passengers having
been carried. For such a young coun-
try, the minister thinks that Canada
Is showing more enterprise, in rail-
way matters at least. than any other
country in the world. If the present
pace is kept up, as he believes it will
be, he expects to see the Dominion
soon possess enough railway track to
make a girdle twice around the earth.
Wages Are Higher.
With regard to the labor aspect of
the railways, the minister says that
wages are getting much higher. AL
though the roads had to decrease their
staffs by 1908 men, last year, the re-
naming employees received 1857 900
more than was paid In wages alto
gether during the preceding year. The
total amount of wages paid on Cana
dian railways last year was over $780,
100000. Altogether, over one sixth Of
the population of the Dominion earns
it's living either by railways or by
steamships. AS for the three trans
continental railways which Canada will
soon possess they will have all they
can do to handle the traffic offered.
While there is no organized, or even
definite, movement in that direction,
yet there is strong feeling among
Canadian railway men not only in the
traffic, but practically throughout all
departments, that the disparity be-
tween the gross receipts and net
earnings of the systems can be rem
edied, in the ultimate result. only by
increased rates. The feeling is ex-
pressed somewhat tentatively, and the
disposition Is to wait and see how
the movement in the United States for
an advance in rates proceeds.
Progress in Mining.
The figures, published in the Off
cial returns, tell more eloquently and
more convincingly the story of the
Inv tIa oil
of northern Ontario than the many
fascinating and sometimes misleading,
reports that come from time to time
from the mining district. These fig
ures are significant of what the future
has in store for the Cobalt and other
silver mining camps. In 1904 Cobalt
camp produced 1853 tons of ore, in 1906
it yielded for shipment 5,129 tons,
while last year nearly 10000 tons of
ore were shipped out of the camp, hav-
ing an estimated value Of $12,000,000
The value of the present shipping
mines of Cobalt may be gathered from
the fact that the OBrien. one of the
lesser mines, has, it is announced, been
sold to foreign syndicate for $S,0O0,-
900. M. J. O'Brien of Renfrew, Ont,
the almost sole owner of this mine,
said a few months ago that he would
not take less than $1O00O,OOO for the
property.
Made Large Profits.
Its value can be understood when
it is stated that Mr.. O'Brien's profits
during the past year amounted to
100000, and this after paying the On
tario government the rs per cent roy
atty on the value Of the annual out
put. 1t is said that the purchasers.
before concluding the deal, went down
on the vein to a depth of $50 feet, and
still the quality of the ore remained
unchanged.
Mining men predict that the present
year will make some astounding reve-
lations from the silver district. AL
ready greater camp than Cobalt is
looming large farther to the north
ward, the latest being the district OF
which lies within the
of the Temagami pine timA
Der reserve. Silver values have now
been discovered in Ontario over an
area of 1000 miles east and west. The
of vein matter on the west
side of GoWganda lake Is extraordi-
nary. Cobalt impressed investors all
over Canada and in many parts Of the
United States, and the recent discov-
cry of Gowganda silver wealth will not
only rivet the eyes of the mining world
upon that territory, but will attract
wider attention than ever to Cobalt |
and to the whole OF Ontario silver