PROSPECTS AND EARNINGS. 355 lative control of tariffs, the roads could not obtain credit, and could not be built. No other benefits over these to be had by the General Corporation law, were gained by these special Acts, and there was nothing else to justify their passage by the Legislature, or their approval by the Governor. And it is clear that if railroads are to be built by other organizations than the Government, they must be left as free to make profits, under the law as it exists at the time of their organization, as others making investments in any species of property. It is just, and has its foundation in the soundest political economy. The fact that the State exercises its right of eminent domain to secure the right of way for the construction of railroads, is in itself an evidence of their great public utility, and it is only this that justifies it in the exercise of its right of eminent domain to procure the right of way: This exercise of eminent domain is made for the benefit of the public, and not for that of the corporation, which must pay the full value of all it takes for right of way, and which from that time holds it and controls it as private property. Can it be wise to discourage investments that are so unqualifiedly stamped by the State as beneficial to the public? Whether there is a reserve power to the State to regulate the tariffs of railroads, other than the limitation of the general Corporation Law, is a mooted question. Whatever the power, it is applicable to every corporation formed under it, whatever its business or objects. But, however this may be, the exercise of it, if its exists, must ultimately be regulated by justice, and by sound and correct principles. In the passage of the special bills, before alluded to, this principle was evidently recognized. The people seem to have acquiesced in the action of the Legislature, and we may confidently look for a full recognition of the principle hereafter. The question is now being largely discussed throughout the United States, and if the principle is correct, we may rest with confidence that the good faith and intelligence of the people will recognize it, and upon this good faith and intelligence must the railroads of the present and future rely. Decisions by the Courts, upholding a law that is repugnant to the will of the people, will avail nothing; but the majority will protect individuals in the right. The railroad companies are made up of individuals, and a wrong to one of these is a wrong to the whole people. And the question at last resolves itself into this, that either individuals must be protected in their investments in railroads, and allowed to make such profits as their enterprise commands, or the State must own and construct railroads, or railroading must cease. There is no such thing as separating control and ownership. Control is ownership. If the exigencies of the State shall require it, to assume partial or complete control of any species of property, good faith will compel it to provide compensation accordingly, as it does when it exercises the right of eminent domain, and takes private property for public The financial and business prospects of the company were never brighter. The end of each year in its history seems to more than realize the promises of the beginning. From the report of General Superintendent Towne, it appears that the gross earnings were: Coin, $7,643,469 58; currency, $5,220,483 40. The operating expenses amounted to $1,929,684 09 in gold, use. and $39,587 43 in currency. The percentage of expenses to earnings was 40.47. The earnings over operating expenses for the year amounted to $8,245,302 54, an increase of more than $1,000,000 over the profits of the preceding year's operations. The total number of passengers transported was 3,280,171, being an increase over 1872 of 276.197. The revenue from this department was, in coin, $2,235,942 81; in currency, $2,182,474 61. Total tonnage for 1873 was 2,057,204,628 pounds; total for 1872, 1,881,646,021 pounds, showing an increase of 175,558,607 pounds, or 9.33 per cent. The earnings from this department were as follows: Coin, $4,989,996 21; currency, $2,472,898 71, showing an increase in coin earnings of $251,143 13, and an increase in currency earnings of $244,307 21. The number of miles of road operated was 1,218.93. The total land grants owned by the company amount to 11,722,400 acres. The total sales of land by the company from its organization to June 30, 1874, amounted to 358,818.73 acres, which were disposed of for $1,459,768 38, being an average of a little more than $4 12} per acre. The Land Agent says that the number of sales is increasing from year to year, and the prices steadily increase in proportion. He is the authority for the statement that within the last three months 12,000 farmers and mechanics secking homes have come to California. a CALIFORNIA RAILROADS. There are 1,261 miles of wide gauge railroad completed and in operation in this State (all of which is four feet eight and one half inch gauge) to wit: CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILROAD. Oakland to State line... Miles. 276 6 2 15 18 146 151 614 101 Total.... SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD. Total.... LOS ANGELES AND SAN PEDRO RAILROAD. 22 21 33 STOCKTON AND VISALLA RAILROAD. Stockton to Oakdale ....... STOCKTON AND COPPEROPOLIS RAILROAD. Peters to Milton .... 12 SAN FRANCISCO AND NORTH PACIFIC RAILROAD, Donahue to Cloverdale 56 In addition to the wide-gauge roads, there are narrow gauge railroads, to wit: San Francisco and North Pacific Coast Railroad, Saucelito toward Russian river, 30 miles, completed, Salinas and Monterey Railroad, 18%, miles, was completed during the past The Colfax and Nevada Narrow-gauge Road, 23 miles in length, is under contract, and to be completed next season. The Watsonville and Santa Cruz Narrow-gauge Railroad, 22 miles in length, is now being constructed, and will be complete next season, season. RECAPITULATION, Miles. 1,261 4812 45 Total..... ... 1,35412 STATEMENT SHOWING FUNDED DEBT AND NET EARNINGS OF THE RAILROADS OF THE UNITED STATES. Railroad Network in Bonds and Debt. Net Earnings Amount Left for Dividends. Western States..... Totals... $883,794,823 $62,265,637 $72,464,212 $10,198,575 477,199,070 33,403,934 69,280,585 35,876,651 122,224,449 8,555,711 15,061,777 6,506,066 280,846,999 19,659,289 18,145,349 1,513,940 102,839,109 7,198,247 8,858,639 1,660,392 $1,836,904,450 $128,583,3111 $183,810,562 $53,226,251 Cost per THE RAILWAYS OF THE WORLD. EARLY ACTION OF MASSACHUSETTS. COUNTRIES. United States New England.. Middle States... Western States, Southern States. Pacific States... Total United States.... Canada. Mexico Honduras. Costa Rica. NORTH AMERICA. Great Britain and Ireland. France.. Belgium. Switzerland. Spain... Portugal. Italy... Austria and Hungary. Germany Netherlands. Denmark Sweden and Norway. Russia Turkey. Roumapia. Greece. EUROPE.. Asia. AFRICA... AUSTRALIA SOUTH AMERICA.. Grand Totals.. Date, Jan 1st. Mileage. Sq. Miles Total Cost. Mile. 1874 1871 1874) 1874 1874 1873 1870 1873 1873 1874 1872 1872 1871 1870 1869 1871 1872) 1873 1872 1872 1873 1872 1873 1871 5,314 12.9 $47,840 $263,697,778 14,019 9.9 67,736 1,126,702, 107 33,772 30.7 52,125 1,730,728,234 15,353 51.4 36,994 509,324, 106 2,193 209.0 95,590 154,090,809 70,651 $53,556 $3,781,512,934 2,928 148.0 70,160 205,428,480 300 3,435.0 54,920 16,476,000 62 638.0 95,000 5,890,000 82 318.0 90,000 7,380,000 74,023 $54,303 $4,019,717,414 16,082 8.0 $182,912 $2,941,601,510 10,706 19.0 158,714 1,716,333, 196 1,892 6.0 106,987 202,419,404 820 18.0 87,134 71,418,220 3,801 54.0 107,156 407,229,956 453 81.0 101,317 45,896,601 3.835 27.0 89,712 319,428,210 7,529 30.0 73,915. 556,506,035 13,066 15.01 88,493 1,156,249,538 1,045 13.0 97,202 101,575,045 530 28.0 57,114 30,270,420 1,049 292.0 66,438 69,693,462 7,279 280.0 166,477 1,214,782,609 488 3,720.0 46,829 22,852,552 507 90.0 46,729 23,691,603 1001 199.0 50,000 5,000,000 69,260 128,718 $8,915,048.501 4,182 230.0 100,500 450,271,000 4,182 230.0 $100,500 $ 120,271,000 737 907.0| $96,504 $71,123,448 134 5,000.0 92,103 12,341,802 871 95.826 $83,465, 250 1.058 2,404.0 $99.622 $ 105,400,076 4107,573.0 $201,157 $82,474,370 442,334.0 89,790 3,950,760 57 1,290.0 86,000 4,902,000 875 955.0 53,9181 47,178,250 65 6,600.0 166,667 10,833,355 375 1,340.0 56,410 21,153,750 452 298.0 61,309 27,711,668 2,278 87,008 $198,204.153 151.632 $90,627 $13,742, 106,394 1870 1870 1873 1870 1872 1873 1873 1872 1873 1873 1872 359 CHAPTER XXV. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. “The ten commandments and a handicraft make a good and wholesome equipment to commence life with. A man must learn to stand upright upon his own feet, to respect himself, to be independent of charity or accident. It is only on this basis that any superstructure of intellectual cultivation worth having can possibly be built."-Froude. FIRST URGED BY MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY-MANUAL OF AGRICULT URE PREPARED-ACTION TAKEN BY OTHER STATES-OBSTACLES TO SUCCESS, PROFESSOR TURNER ON TEXT-BOOK MONOPOLIES-SUPERINTENDENT NORTHRUP'S VIEWS ON THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF LABOR. IT MUST be conceded by all, that one of the greatest obstacles to the farmer's progress has been a defective and unsuitable education, and that the specific training required to lift his calling to a level with the highest of human occupations, is not to be obtained without an appeal to the ballot-box. Since the year 1860, the importance of industrial education in general, and of agricultural instruction in our common schools, has been urged upon the public by teachers eminent for broad and enlightened views, and by equally eminent farmers, trained in all the learning of our higher institutions. The Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture gave, fifteen years ago, the following reasons for asking the State Legislature for the passage of an act authorizing the introduction of a Manual of Agriculture into all the schools of the commonwealth: The foundation for the intelligent pursuit of every business is laid in our common school system. So far as it goes, it answers every purpose, and if any complaint could be made, it would be, perhaps, that it aimed at too much that some things are taught that might better be omitted. One fact, however, is certain, that nothing is taught in our public schools which have any special bearing upon the future education of that large class whose lives are devoted to the cultivation of the soil, and stranger still, this class is the only one that cannot get the special instruction necessary for it anywhere else. There are private schools, academies, and colleges for the education of youth for other callings in life, but not for the farmer, who requires, more that any other class, a special training for his profession. The fact that the greater proportion of all labor is farm labor, seems to have been overlooked in the studies prescribed in the common schools. The simple teachings which appeal to the daily senses and to natural objects, have been too much neglected. Without desiring to go into a minute criticism upon the instruction which is afforded, we claim a place for agriculture in the system of public education; and assert the right to bave introduced a few |