CountryMiles of Road CompletedOpened18401850186018701880188918991909(b)Great Britain18251,8576,62110,43315,53717,93319,94321,66623,205United States18272,8189,02130,62652,92293,296160,544—234,182Canada183616662,0652,6177,19412,58517,25024,104France1828—1,7145,70011,14216,27521,89926,22929,364Germany18353413,6376,97911,72920,69324,84531,38635,558Belgium18352075541,0741,7992,3992,7762,8332,871Austria (proper)1837—8171,8133,7907,0839,34511,92113,427Russia in Europe1838—3109887,09814,02617,53426,88931,545Italy1839132651,1173,8255,3407,8309,77010,312Holland1839101102088741,1431,6321,9662,225Switzerland1844—156538851,5961,8692,3422,740Hungary1846—1371,0042,1574,4216,75110,61911,769Denmark1847—20694709751,2171,7642,141Spain1848—171,1903,4004,5505,9518,2528,432Chili1851——1204521,1001,8012,7912,939Brazil1851——1345042,1745,5469,19510,713Norway1854——426929709701,2311,608Sweden1858——3751,0893,6544,8996,6638,321Argentine Republic1857———6371,5364,50610,01313,690Turkey in Europe———413927271,0241,9001,967Peru———472471,1799931,0351,332Portugal———424447101,1881,4751,689Greece1869———67416604771Uruguay1869———612683999971,210Mexico1868———2156555,0128,50313,612Roumania————1528591,5371,92019,942Australia(a)—————7894,85011,11116,502Japan1874————755423,6325,755British India1853——8384,7719,16215,88723,52330,576China1883—————1244014,162Africa—————5832,8735,35318,516(a) Including New Zealand.(b) Or latest figures.
In conclusion I would reiterate the following recommendations:
Railway Statistics.
That the Bureau of Railway Statistics and Accounts, now a division of the Interstate Commerce Commission, be transferred to the Department of Commerce and Labor.
That its statistics be confined to the affairs of operating railway companies, the only carrier companies engaged in Interstate Commerce.
That its inquiries be confined to the data necessary to furnish the public with a comprehensive knowledge of railway conditions and operations in the United States from year to year.
That these statistics be devoted to publicity and not to the promotion of personal or official theories.
Accidents.
That Congress provide for an official investigation of all railway accidents in the United States along the lines so successfully adopted in the United Kingdom, and not in a spirit of hostility to the railways, as proposed in pending legislation.
This investigation should be through a Bureau of the Department of Commerce and Labor, composed as follows:
One Chief Inspector.
Ten District Inspectors, one for each Interstate Commerce group, appointed from Engineer service of the United States Army, with the rank of Major. This would insure fitness and impartiality for the work and valuable experience in regard to railway operations to the Army Engineers.
Three Deputy Inspectors for each group.
Three Assistant Inspectors for each group.
Several groups might require four inspectors of each class, and as many could get along with two.
Enough money could be deducted from the Interstate Commerce Commission appropriation to pay these officials liberally, so as to secure competent service, without crippling the legitimate work of the Commission.
Respectfully submitted,
SLASON THOMPSON.
PageAbuses, old, reformed,214Accidents, decrease in 1909,371Accidents, effect of freight traffic on,378Accidents, fatalities in, since 1888,375Accidents on British railways,379Accidents on European railways,382Accidents, overwork seldom cause of,381Accidents, train, causes of,379Acworth, W. M., on relations of railroads to the state,220Acworth, W. M., testimony before Senate committee,283Additional lines, little room for,47Advances in railway rates, concerning,261African Cape government railroads,231Agricultural implements, freight rates on,108Agricultural products and freight rates,183Air brakes, introduction of,119Allegheny Mountains, elevations,31American railways by states, 1835 to 1909,391Area, number of miles to, in 1869,134Australian railways under government ownership,221,232Automatic couplers,120Automatic mechanical stop,320Automatic signaling,124
Bacon, Lord, on the necessity of easy transportation,5Bananas, relation of freight rate to price,97Beaulieu, Leroy, on American railways,79Belgian railroads owned by the state,220Bills, multitude of, affecting railways,68Block signaling, evolution of,123Block signals, miles protected by, 1908, 1909,320Brewer, Judge, on the right to change rates,266British railway commission discussed,248British railways, slow growth of,243British railways, statistics of,389Brown, W. C., on the freight rate situation,107Business suit, freight rates on a,110Butter, freight rates on,111Butter, price of, little affected by freight charge,91
Canada railways, statistics of,388Canals, beginnings of American,10Canal construction, revival of,17Canals, scarcity of capital for,18Capital expenditure of British, German and American railways,251Capital for improvements the railway problem of to-day,211Capital, increased cost of,176Capital needed for Southern railways,61Capital, private, develops river traffic,12Capitalization, 1909,337Capitalization, foreign railways,344Capitalization, net, 1904-1909,339Capitalization of turnpikes,16Capitalization, Pres. Roosevelt rejects claims of over,107Car construction,128Car service operation,356Cars, number and capacity, 1902 to 1909,317Chicago, Burlington and Quincy R. R., condition of,72Civil war, importance of railways during,118Class rates, no change in certain, since 1897,165Coastwise commerce first developed,15Clothes we wear, freight rates on,108Commission, Interstate Commerce, its creation and purpose,208Commissions have advantages over legislatures,208Commodities, proportions of various, moved,355Comparison of American and English loads,82Competition has ceased to regulate,233Competition, public facilities increased by,252Conflict between competitive and uniform rates,83Congress, conditions confronting, in 1909,288Construction, cost of,342Control by democracy,229Cooking utensils, freight rates on,108Cooley, Judge, on superhuman task of fixing rates by Commission,273Cost of American and foreign railways compared,50Cost of living,329Cost, original, of Penn R. R., Harrisburg to Pittsburg,36Corporate entities necessary to railway construction,206Cotton, effect of freight charge on,95-99Cotton, freight rates on,110Crackers, relation of freight charge to price,99Cummins, Senator, on physical value of railways,343
Daily compensation of employes, average, 1892 to 1908,324Damages and injuries to persons,365Dead weight hauled in mail service excessive,149Decisions of I. C. C. reducing rates,301Depreciation of money, significance,192Development of railways,45Depression, 1908, effect of,296Depression of 1908, effect on C. B. & Q. pay roll,67-71Difficulties under the present law,216Diminished purchasing power of railway earnings,165Discriminations once the rule without objection,201,213Distribution of gross earnings, 1909,361Dividends, 1908, exaggerated,292,340Dollar purchases less labor or commodities now than 1897,166Dressed beef, freight rates on,111
Early history of railroads,116Early methods of travel,6Earnings and expenses, 1908-1909,358Earnings, gross, calendar years 1907, 1908, 1909,296Eggs, freight rates on,111Eggs, price slightly affected by freight charge,91Employes, average daily compensation, 1892-1909,324Employes, number and compensation, 1909,321Employes, pay of foreign,326Enlightened public opinion the hope of the railways,237Equipment cost, 1897-1907,194Equipment of American railways, 1909,314Equipment, output, 1899 to 1909,314Equipment requirements for replacement,315Erie railroad completed to Lake Erie,117Ethics of railroad operation high and just,202European wars, effect on American development,11Expenses, calendar years 1907, 1908, 1909,297Express, receipts from carrying,350
Farm animals and freight rates,184Farms better investments than railways,77Fatalities, proportion of, to traffic,138Fink, Henry, on the right to increase rates,281Flour, effect of freight charge on price,96Flour, freight rates on a sack of,110Food stuffs, relation of freight charge to price,101Foreign railways, mileage of,310Foreign railways, ratio to area and population,310Foreign railways, statistics of,386Freight car performance, 1908-1909,319Freight car shortages and surplus, 1907-1910,318Freight cars, number and capacity, 1902-1909,317,318Freight moved ten miles for three cents,49Freight rate primer,107Freight rates decrease in 1897-1907,180Freight rates, low, encourage production,90Freight service compared with mail service,151Freight traffic, 1908-1909,352Freight traffic, statistics of, 1888 to 1909,354French railway employes, number of,329French system vicious,235Fuel, cost of, 1899 to 1909,367Fuel, cost of, in several states,170Fuel for locomotives, cost of,168
German railway employes, number and pay of,328German railways owned and operated by the state,220Germany, railway statistics of,390Gibb, Sir George S., on Railway Nationalization,238Government assistance sought,12Government may not usurp management of railways,207Government ownership must assume all risks,259Gradients on first Pennsylvania railroad,22-26Grade crossings, elimination of,133Growth of the railways,137-391
Harbors insignificant compared to railroad yards,52Harrisburg to Pittsburg, location of road from,21Hazard, decreased, to train crews,377Heating cars,129Heurteau, Emile, on American railway system,282Hides, relation of freight rates to price,98High grade tonnage, increase in,190Highways in the 18th century,9Hill, James J., speeches at Seattle and Tacoma,45Home markets, Americans turn to,11Hostility to railroads, reasons therefor,241Household furniture, freight rates on,109Human element in operation,135
Improvements, demand for, imperative,203Improvements, postponement of,68Income account, 1908,292Income account, calendar year 1909,298Income account of leased roads,360Increasing cost of railway maintenance and operation,67Injuries to persons and damages,365Interrelation of rates,275Interlocking signals,125Interstate Commerce Law contradictory,201Iron ore, relation of freight charge on, to industry,100Isolation of interior settlements,7Italian railways owned by the state,221