The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1875-12-09

through traffic of these lines there
fore cost not exceeding 6 mills per
ton per mile.
In the report of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company for 1878, the
cost Of all freight traffic was O.857
cents per ton per mile on an average
haul Of 1873 miles, less than 40 per
cent. of the length of the main line,
$50 miles. The committee ap-
pointed by the stockholders of this
company to report upon the value
Of the property, in discussing this
subject, expressed an opinion that
the cost Of through traffic Oh this
line for 1878 was 7 mills per ton
per mile the average cost of all
through traffic, which consists
largely of bulky goods going west,
and wool, cotton and other similar
goods going east, freight of which
car can only carry trona one half
to two-thirds of a standard load.
Members Of the Society will see
that the cost Of transporting cereuI
products which 90 III loads of from
10 TO II tons, frequently on whole
trains without handling by the COM
pany at either terminus Of the road
or shifting of the ears between the
termini, must be done at cost less
than that Of the average of the
whole traffic, or less than Z mills
per ton per mile; hence, [ regard
the proposition referred to as
proven.
| should here say that, in speaking
of cost, a railroad man always
means the expense to the company
in conducting the traffic, including
maintenance Of road and machinery
used but does not include interest
on the capital invested. \
If railroad companies are paid for
carrying freight they must have
some interest on the capital invested
and therefore cannot be expected to
conduct traffic at the rates | have
named; small addition, however,
TO the rate per ton per mile on the
traffic of main lines will pay "a
dividend on capital stock calcu-
lation made some years ago in
reference to main line of railway
showed that an ADDITION of 81 mills
per ton per mile would pay
per cent on the capital and debt OF
that railroad.
One effect Of the agitation of the
subject by the Changers from their
point OF view, and by this Society
and engineers generally from a
scientific point Of view, has been to
cause railroad companies or their
officers and managers to look into
and investigate the subject and fnd
out upon what basis it rests; and III
doing 50 they have seen that many
economies can be realized. As has
been cited, the cost Of traffic on the
Michigan Southern hallway has
been reduced from O.92 cents III
1872, to O.767 cents in 1874; it APP
pears also that the necessity of
securing back loads has been dem
onstrated. Some years, ago, when
/ had charge of the freight depart
ment of the Pittsburgh, Forl
Wayne & Chicago Railway, the
company was urged to Gerry coal
to Chicago at a rate some 81 per
Ton less than it had ever carried
coal before. Empty st ock cars were
daily run to Chicago, sometimes in
full trains. | favored loading these
cars at the best price to be bad, and
obtained the approval of,the officers.
The number OF cars loaded that
year was small, but m ainly IN con
sequence of that policy the percen-
tage of empty car mileage was
reduced from 26 per cent, to %
per cent. of the Who'll e car mileage,
and III two years more to II per
cent; thus, in three years after this
plan was adopted the empty car
mileage on that road was reduced
to II ( per cent. OF the whole car
mileage The furfCher result has
been that to-day the principal
traffic in these cars is of coal and
coke from Pittsburgh to Chicago,
and live stock Is sought for as a