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1. The cost of moving bulk-freights on various routes, distance 500 miles, tonnage large, and business well organized:

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To these water-rates insurance and time should be added as elements of commercial importance and value.

2. The cost of standard (4 feet 8 inches) and narrow (3 feet) gauge railroads, maximum grade 45 feet:

Standard roads, iron rails, fully equipped, per mile....

Narrow-gauge, iron rails, fully equipped, per mile.
Standard roads, steel rails, fully equipped, per mile

$42,000

20,000

50,000

25,000

Narrow-gauge, steel rails, fully equipped, per mile.

This is a large advantage in favor of narrow-gauge roads, and a large element in cheap transportation.

3. The business capacities of these roads compared:

(a.) Standard locomotives.

[Second Annual Report New York State Engineer, page 138.]

Locomotive and tender, with fuel and water, are taken at 58 tons, and the effective load of a single car at about 10 tons.

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It will be observed that the effective load of paying tonnage on a 40

foot grade is 186 tons.

(b.) Narrow-gauge locomotives.

Table showing work which a 20-ton engine (all weight on drivers) will do on grades 0 to 100 feet-Porter, Bell & Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., builders.

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You can rely on a narrow-gauge engine of our build hauling up-grades as per right-hand table without difficulty, engine to weigh 20 tons, all on drivers, and carry tender besides.

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Narrow-gauge train, 200 tons paying freight:

Locomotive and tender, length....

25 cars, average length 24 feet.

Total length of train ...............

30 feet.

600 feet.

630 feet.

This gives us 20 feet in favor of narrow-guage trains, and in 1,000 miles would make a difference of several trains. Besides, this is allowing to standard locomotives a capacity beyond their ability, and to narrowgauge locomotives a capacity less than their ability. The elements of speed and extent of equipment cannot enter into the comparison, as the speed in both trains is accepted as ten miles per hour, and the number of locomotives and cars is limited by the trackage capacity of the road. (d.) Average weight and capacity of cars.

Standard roads, weight of car 10 tons, load 10 tons.
Narrow-gauge roads, weight of car 4 tons, load 8 tons.

Hence 25 narrow-gauge cars will carry the same paying load carried by 20 standard cars.

(e.) Weight of trains and paying ability.

Standard train, locomotive and tender, fuel and water

20 freight-cars, empty, at 10 tons each...

20 freight-cars, paying load, at 10 tons each

Total weight of train.........

This is allowing 28 tons beyond the capacity of locomotive.

58 tons.

200 tons.

200 tons.

458 tons.

Narrow-gauge train, locomotive and tender, fuel and water.

20 tons.

100 tons.

200 tons.

320 tons.

25 freight-cars, empty, at 4 tons each...

25 freight-cars, loaded, at 8 tons each..

Total weight of train.............

This is less than the capacity of locomotives. On the return-trip, westward bound, and half load, the comparison would be thus:

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The narrow-gauge train, with a paying load of 100 tons, is 38 tons lighter than the standard train empty. This advantage is too apparent to need remarks.

But, in practical railroading, car-service does not average over three tons to the car, and often it is one or less than one ton. On the standard road this service is always made with a 10-ton car, and hence in many cases the proportion is 10 tons of wagon-weight to one of paying load, but on narrow-gauge roads this service is never over 4 to 1, and may, in most cases, be 3 or even 2 to 1. This is a point of financial importance which cannot be overlooked.

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The narrow-gauge train, with the load of a standard train, is 62 tons less weight than the standard train empty, and 102 tons less than the standard train with the same load; and when these trains run, as all trains do, with less than an average half load, the difference becomes startling when looked at from a financial standpoint.

The above simple facts develop aggregate amounts in the commerce of the country which involve millions of dollars every year. The people are considering these, and statesmen cannot ignore them. Our transportation has outgrown the simple elements of development and facilities. Principles of legitimate business must hereafter prevail.

(g.) Cost of operating.

Standard roads:

New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, 1871, per ton per mile.....77
Pennsylvania Central Railroad, 1871, per ton per mile.......

mills.

...8 mills.

If to the above we add one mill for renewals, betterments, and contingencies, and allow for a fair decrease in cost for 1874, we will have a cost of 7 mills as the minimum for these roads.

Narrow-gauge roads :

Use of freight-cars per ton per mile..

Road-bed...

Motive-power..

Betterments and contingencies...

4 mill. 14 mills. 1 mills. mill.

4 mills.

With an actual operating cost of 4.5 mills against 7.5 mills, we obtain the paying-rate of 6 mills as against the 10 mills, now the minimum charged by standard roads.

This point is further illustrated by the fact that the cost of operating and maintenance of our best standard roads is 64 per cent. of gross earnings, while the Denver and Rio Grande, in 1874, did not exceed 50 per cent. of gross earnings on a very limited business; and, had the business been equal to their limited equipment, the proportion would not have exceeded 35 per cent. (Report 1874, p. 15.)

4. The financial results of the proposed reduction of rates are worthy of special attention. To make this point as simple as possible, we will assume the moderate business of an average tonnage of 2,500 tons per mile, and the distance as 1,000 miles, i. e., the distance from New York City to the Mississippi River, which is in the heart of the grain and meat districts of the country. This will give an annual tonnage of 2,500,000 tons. The transportation of these 2,500,000 tons would cost

By standard roads, at 10 mills per ton per mile......
By narrow-gauge roads, at 6 mills per ton per mile...
By narrow-gauge roads, at 5 mills per ton per mile........

$25, 000, 000

15, 000, 000 12, 500, 000

The narrow-gauge road at six mills would save to the commerce of the country every year an amount equal to the aid asked of Congress to build this 1,000 miles of road, and at five mills would save $2,500,000 more than the amount of this aid. This is certainly worthy of consideration.

This 10-mill rate is equal to 35 cents per bushel of 60 pounds, the 6mill rate is equal to 18 cents per bushel, and the 5-mill rate is equal to 15 cents per bushel, in the transportation from the Mississippi River to the seaboard.

To obtain these rates the people of the West are now actively interested, and their recent elections indicate that a solution of the question will be pressed with energy and unrelentingly. The saving of this amount annually on even the limited commerce indicated is of national importance, and the inauguration of this commercial economy cannot be postponed with any apology that will be satisfactory to the people, especially in view of the fact that this transportation question is backed up by the necessities of the vast unemployed labor and capital of the country.

5. The direct financial return to the Government. The bill of the Fortyfirst Parallel Railroad Company secures, in perpetuity, to the Post-Office

Department of the Government a telegraph-service and a mail and express-mail service free of charge. The annual value of this service is fully equal to the interest on the aid asked.

From the report of the Postmaster-General, 1874, we learn that the rate per ton per mile paid to railroad companies for mail-service varies from $40 to about $1,000 per mile per annum. These rates appear to be inversely to the weight of daily mail-the largest mail pays the lowest rate; but the following may be accepted as specimens of fair rates:

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad: Washington, Wheeling..
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad: Chicago, Rock
Island

Amount.

Pounds. .11,403

Per ton.

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Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad: Chicago, Burlington. 7,643
Toledo, Wabash & Western Railroad: Lafayette, Quincy
Chicago & Northwestern Railroad: Clinton, Council Bluffs... 6,369
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad: Davenport, Council
Bluffs..

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7,701

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6, 614

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Hannibal & Saint Joseph Railroad: Quincy, Saint Joseph.... 6,020
Average $70 per annum per mile per ton of daily mail.

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This is an average mail-service of less than 4 tons per mile per day for these roads.

The mail-service secured by the Forty-first Parallel Railroad may be estimated as follows:

Post-office car, daily mail, 4 tons, at $70
Express mail, daily, 4 tons, at $70...

Average value per mile......

$280 00

280 00

560 00

At this reasonable mail-service and price, the Government will save in mail-service, on every mile, the sum of $60 over and above the interest on the aid given; and this would amount, on 1,000 miles, to the handsome sum of $60,000 per annum, or the same proportion for any less or greater distance.

To the above add the postal-telegraph service, a fair estimate of which cannot now be made, and we will have a net gain to the Government of about $100,000 per annum.

From the above considerations, this subject is most respectfully pressed upon the attention of Congress, with the full conviction, also, that such practical and valuable legislation is expected by the people, and required by the best interests of commerce. The unemployed labor and capital of the country are equally interested. To relegate this transportation question to the people or to a fature Congress, is to intensify the excitement in the West, and precipitate the demands of commerce into the arena of party politics to such an extent as to entirely disorganize business and affiliations. The responsibility is grave; the consequences are portentous. The producers of the West, the consumers of the East and South, and the labor and capital of the whole country, propose to be heard and relieved. Most respectfully submitted.

J. K. HORNISH,

On behalf of the Forty-first Parallel Railroad.

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