APPENDIX. 599 



stantly occur, the price at which transportutiou can be had is fluctuating and 

 uncertain. Railroad managers are distrustful of each other and shippers all 

 the while in doubt as to the rates secured by their competitors. Enormous 

 sums are spent in purchasing business, and secret rates accorded far below the 

 standard of published charges. The general public gets little benefit from 

 these reductions, for concessions are mainly confined to the heavier shippers. 

 All this augments the advantages of large capital and tends to the injury and 

 often to the ruin of smaller dealers." 



In discussing attempts of the Commission to extort the truth as to these 

 practices from railroad officials, the following expressions are used by the 

 Commission : — 



" The inquiry was greatly hampered by the disappearance of material wit- 

 nesses;" and the "inability of several who did testify to recall transactions of 

 then recent date." "All of the railway witnesses denied knowledge of any 

 violation of the statute," but "it was nevertheless established that secret rate 

 concessions had been generally granted on this traffic, and that the carriers had 

 allowed larger rebates to some of the flour shippers than to others." 



Several pages of the Report of 1898 are devoted to matter of this kind 

 affecting many railroads, and some of the methods adopted to violate the act 

 without detection are exposed. It is evident that the Commission believes that 

 the entire railroad system of the country is permeated by frauds, by means of 

 which the rich oppress the poor, but which the Commission is without power to 

 remedy. 



The farmers will do well to see that the Commission is clothed with the 

 power, or that their congressmen tell them the reason why not. 



3. STATISTICS OF RAILWAYS IN THE UNITED STATES. 



FROM THE REPORT OF THE U. S. INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION 

 FOR 1898. 



Total railway mileage, June 30, 1897 184,428 



Increase over previous year 1,651 



Total mileage, including side tracks and double tracks 243,444 



Increase over previous year 3,31d 



No. railway corporations. 1,987 



No. actually operating roads 1,037 



No. roads in hands of recievers 128 



Mileage operated by same 18,861 



Decrease from previous year 11,613 



Total No. of locomotives in service 35,986 



Total No. of cars 1,297,480 



Total number of men employed 823,476 



No. of men to each 100 miles of line 449 



The employees were distributed as follows : — 



Administration (doubtless including solicitors). . , . 31,871 



Maintenance of way and structure 244,873 



Maintenance of equipment 160,667 



Conducting transportation 378,361 



Unclassified 7,704 



Amount paid in wages and salaries $ 465,601,581 



Decrease from previous year 3,222,950 



Total nominal capital 10,635,008,074 



Nominal capital per mile 59,620 



