ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives: The Board of Railroad Commissioners have the honor to submit their Eleventh Annual Report herewith. REPORTS FROM RAILROAD COMPANIES. Annual Reports have been received from all the Railroads in the State which have been in operation more than a year, and your attention is called to the statistical tables of same, published elsewhere in this Report. NAMES AND MILEAGE OF RAILROADS IN THE STATE. Blackville, Alston, and Newberry Railroad......... Charleston, Cincinnati, and Chicago Railroad...... 149 107.5 102.5 90.5 Green Pond, Walterboro, and Branchville R. R.... 228.2 211.2 246 245 Port Royal and Western Carolina Railway. Spartanburg, Union, and Columbia Railroad........ 68 68 25.17 124 15 15 2,084.13 June 30, 1888.. 1,913.92 170.21 2,093.78 An increase of........ Since the 30th of June 9.65 miles have been opened, making the total number miles October 1, 1889, A greater number of miles than have ever before been built in South Carolina in one year. This record shows the fallacy of the arguments used by many, viz., that the existence of a Railroad Commission within a State prevents the building of Railroads, and thus retards the prosperity of such a section of the country. CONDITION OF ROADS. The steady improvement in the physical condition of the roads in South Carolina, as alluded to in our last Report, has continued, and your attention is called to the following synopsis of general improvement, also to the report of inspection of each road published elsewhere. STEEL RAILS. There have been relaid with steel rails during the past year 127.44 miles of track. To this add the new mileage laid with steel, 170.21 miles, and there is shown the large total of 297.65 miles of steel rail laid during the past fiscal year. BALLAST. The improvement in ballasting the roads with better tinues, and during the past year many additional miles been put in good condition in this particular. terial terial contrack have CROSS TIES. On most of the roads very particular attention is paid to this portion of the track, and improvement and renewing of same continues. as indicated in former Reports. BRIDGES AND TRESTLES. There has been a marked improvement in bridges and trestles during the past year—no less than 1,969 feet of iron truss and girder bridges and iron viaducts having been built during that period, part of which replaced wooden structures. EQUIPMENT. The equipment in both passenger and freight departments continues to be improved, and the Commission notes with pleasure the introduction (particularly on the Richmond and Danville system) of a large number of freight cars equipped with air brakes and automatic couplers. CASUALTIES. During the past year the casualties have increased—fifty-one having been killed and one hundred and eighty-three injured. Eight were killed from causes beyond their control, and forty-three by reason of their own carelessness or negligence. No passenger was killed from any fault on the part of a railroad. CIRCULARS. The following has been issued by the Commission during the past year! [Circular No. 16.] OFFICE OF RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS, From October 1st to November 30th, 1889, the rates on Acidulated Rock, Tankage, Blood, Fishscrap, and Sulphur will be 75 per cent. of current Fertilizer rates on all Railroads in this State. By order of the Board. M. T. BARTLETT, Secretary. M. L. BONHAM, Chairman. I cannot consent to the foregoing Circular, as, in my opinion, the selection of Acidulated Rock (one out of many products of Phosphate Rock), to be transported at a reduced rate, constitutes, in law, a discrimination. Should the Circular be made to read: "All products of Phosphate Rock, Tankage," &c.; or, "all commercial fertilizers," &c. (and I do not see why we should not include Kainit and all other ingredients entering into the manufacture of fertilizers), I will consent to same, although in my judgment the issuance of such is neither particularly in the interest of the Railroads, nor of very much benefit to the consumer. Charleston, S. C., September 27, 1889. EUGENE P. JERVEY, CAPITAL STOCK. Capital stock of railroads as far as reported...................................... $21,149,696 58 The total income of year ending June 30, 1889, shows an increase of....... $407,657 45 And expenses show an increase of......................... 821,327 52 Decrease net earnings this year as above............ $413,670 07 AMENDMENTS TO THE LAW. The Commission, under amendment to the Railroad Law of December, 1888, viz., G. S., Section 1451a and 1451b, re-arranged and amicably adjusted the local rates of freight within the limits of the State. This re-adjustment was somewhat delayed in consequence of a call issued by the Interstate Railroad Commission, asking for a conference in Washington, D. C., of all the State Railroad Commissions, to be held on March 5th, 1889, to ascertain what (if anything) could be done towards harmonizing the work of the various Commissions and the Interstate Commission, particularly in the following items: Unification of freight classification. Harmony in State legislation. Legislation for improved appliances for protection of life and property. Under the authority given the Commission in the General Railroad Law of South Carolina, they acquiesced in re-modelling the Annual Reports, so as to enable the railroads in South Carolina to make the same annual report to the State Railroad Commission as is made to the Interstate Commission, to begin with year ending June 30, 1890. The matter of unification of freight classification was postponed for another year, in order to procure further information on the subject. It was agreed that the various State Legislatures be urged, when making new railroad laws, to have them, as far as practicable, in harmony with other States and the Interstate Law. It was further agreed, that the great need of a law requiring all railroads to use automatic couplers upon their freight cars be urged upon the States, and that the Legislatures of same be requested to call the attention of their Senators and Representatives in Congress to the urgent need of such a law, and ask that they use all their influence to endeavor to have some such law enacted. The Port Royal and Western Carolina Railway having failed to connect their track, by 1st March, 1889, at Spartanburg with that of the Richmond and Danville Railroad, under the Act passed by your honorable body during the last session, the matter was put into the hands of the Attorney General, who has argued the case before the Supreme Court, but no decision has been rendered yet. The Commission will again most earnestly request your honorable body to amend Sec. 1457, G. S., so as to provide a specific mode for enforcing by the Courts, through mandamus or otherwise, such suggestions as the Board may deem it its duty to make thereunder, in the event that the Courts, on hearing the case, shall sustain the suggestions of the Commission. The opinion of the Attorney General of South Carolina on this point was published last year, and a Bill was introduced with proper amendments, but for some reason a vote upon the same was never reached. The case of discontinuance of agency at Sharon, S. C., published elsewhere, and to which your attention is earnestly called, will no doubt convince your honorable body of the pressing necessity for amendment asked for. The Commission republishes this year the Appendix to Supplemental Report, printed on page *214 of Tenth Annual Report, as it is believed that in consequence of its having been printed in an inconspicuous place, it escaped the notice of many members of the General Assembly. It is of the greatest importance (to the public generally, as well as the railroads), and prompt action in regard to same is urged upon your honorable bodies. |