COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. STATE OF IOWA, OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS, Tʊ Hon. WILLIAM LARRABEE, Governor of Iowa : As required by law, we have the honor to submit herewith the ninth annual report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners, showing the capital stock, debt, general traffic, earnings, operating expenses and condition of the railroads doing business in Iowa for the year ending June 30, 1886; also a statement of the complaints brought before us for adjudication, with decisions of the Board in full, together with the returns of the several companies to this office, and the tabular statements made therefrom. We also present an abstract of the decisions of the Supreme Court of the State rendered since the date of our last report upon questions affecting railroads and their relations to the citizens of the State, and general remarks of the Commissioners upon the subjects which have come before them for consideration. There has been no change in the organization of the Board since our last report was presented. Peter A. Dey was re-appointed for the term of three years. CAPITAL STOCK. The total number of miles of railroad in operation in Iowa, reported by the companies to this Board is seven thousand, five hundred sixty-four and 67-100 miles. The report of the capital stock and debt is based upon the entire lines of the roads, a large portion of whose mileage is in other States. The entire length of these lines, including the mileage within and without the State, is twenty-two thousand, seven hundred and 86-100 miles. The proportion of the stock of these roads that represents the lines in Iowa, added to the stock of the roads entirely in Iowa, is $144,091,680.31, or $18,281.68 per mile. The total number of stock-holders reported is thirty thousand, two hundred and nine; those living in this State seven hundred and seven, or one stock-holder in forty-three. The total amount of stock held in this State is $5,682,878, or one share in seventy-three. STOCK AND DEBT. The stock and debt of the roads in Iowa as reported amounts to $287,447,260.07, or $38,909.03 per mile. These amounts may be slightly in error, as the roads that composed the Wabash system, the the Des Moines, Osceola & Southern and the Fort Madison & Northwestern are in the hands of receivers, who seem to have but little. idea of the stock and bonds that represent these properties. INTEREST PAID. The interest paid during the year on account of the roads in Iowa as reported is $6,926,430.92, or four and eighty-three hundredths per cent. The following table shows the amount of stock and debt per mile of each company, as the returns were made to this office: The following table shows the added mileage, and the increase of capital stock during the year, for all lines in the systems represented. The increased mileage in the State of Iowa is 86.24 miles. The increase on all roads is 910.48 miles. The increase of stock reported is $13,584,013.00: COMPARATIVE TABLE OF STOCK AND DEBT FOR THE YEARS 1880, 1882, 1884 AND 1886. Stock.. $264,482,954.21| $345,918,605.27| $390,586,766.44| $415.010,066.52 In 1878, $343,849,402.06 represented 8,367 miles of railroad, which was the entire mileage of the roads reporting to this Board. In 1880, $493,034,280.25 represented 12,219.36 miles; in 1882, $732,146,933.28 represented 18,548.69 miles; in 1884, $830,800,900.00 represented 21,154.32 miles; in 1886, $889,746,893.18 represents 22,700.86 miles; or the systems in the eight years have increased their capital and debt $545,897,491.12, and their mileage 14,333.86. The mileage in Iowa has increased from 4,157.15 in 1878 to 7,564.67 in 1886, or an increase of 3,407.52 in eight years. The capital and debt reported for Iowa in 1878, was $153,601,784.47; in 1886, it was $287,447,260.07, an increase of mileage of 3,407.52, and of stock and debt of $133,845,475.60. COST OF ROADS. The following table represents the entire cost of all the roads doing business in Iowa, and, as near as the Commissioners are able to ascertain, the proportion of the cost of the roads for Iowa. This is not given as by any means accurate, but the best approximation they are able to make: |