Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 116, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1904 — THE RAILROADS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE RAILROADS

Tonnage continues to improve on the east-bound lines. Bailways are pushing themselves into every corner of the globe. Texas now stands first in the railroad mileage of all the States in the Union,. * At St. Louis last week fourteen ticket brokers were arrested for dealing in nontransferable tickets. The Russian government will spend $11,000,009 for immediate improvements on the Trans-Siberian railway. It has practically been agreed that the passenger associations will continue clergy permits for the year 1905. Gov. Blanchard of Ix>uiaiana has approved bill, recently paAsed by the Legislature of that State enlarging the powers of the railroad commission so as to give it control over joint through rates on freight and express matter. The Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio Railway Traffic Association has refused to grant the demand of bituminous coni operators for a reduction of 10 per cent in freight rates. The rates have been reaffirmed for another season. A peculiar condition in railroading exists in China, where the passenger receipts uniformly exceed those from freight traffic. The reason for this most unusual state of affairs is that the Chinese have not yet learned the superiority of rail over water transportation for mercliandise. As the Celestials progress this proportion will gradually reverse.