New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-15
NARROW GAUGE RAILROADS.


ADDRESS BEFORE THE DIRECTORS OF THE CHEAP
TRANSFORMATIONS ASSOCIATION.
The directors Of the Cheap Transportation
Association met Yesterday and elected very large num-
Der OF new members including several well Unknown hotel
propretors and numerous insurance men. John Horn
is President OF the projected Fortyfrst Parallel Mar
row Gauge Railroad, addressed the meeting on the SUI
periorty OF the narrow gauge TO standard gauge rail-
roads Referring the operating expenses of railroads.
he said
The annual gross expenses and gross receipts divided
by miles give Ms the average net ana gross cost
per ton mile ana the difference between these In the
profit interest dividend, and development Atr 10
years OF experience and Development tne lowest average
net cost per mile four nrst-cas Trunk ROADS
viz tine NewYork Central the Erie, the Pennsylvania
Central aud the Baltimore aud Ohio Is esni mus per
mills per mile that l.. eight mills FOR expenses ana
four for interest and dividend on Investment ser second
report of SPECIAL Commissioner on the Erie %
MAJ ls7 iirstcass snsc-trtck roads exoee ar tn,s
gross iara These iacts tabuated the most fiyor-
able average, will stand thus; -
avg TAT NetGloss Avs Set Gross E1. Net
ID m, s5 Ss o5Sso nils s2bccSSoe s,socooo
4 nils Seoo0o999 mis- S9S S9S9o 200 90
isH mills sc"oooco smi Mills 800 OC 800 Sosa"s
At the average OF ~ mills gross tariff and mills net
OF doble-traced road. with rsclass equipments and
appointments and at an average OF nls TIE ehtfe IN.
If our standard roads given to the pubic for moth
ing they could make the iarin rates required II tho
e"t the paie on al other freight would have be al
vanced beyound equitable pro rata AZ good ner.
chandisng requires that staples sall yeid average
cost good r,iioaiing requires that hl ircigts st
yield average Be Cud this raroading business
becomes unsafe. certainly unjust aud unequal where an
interest on the investment nss to be PROVIDED I0s
will get the following exhibit:
EAhLow GAUGE ROAD.
Avg. Tai TT Gross Avg Net II Gross Total
s@ 1 lSSyg nils, s tsSsSoo s75zSooo
. 29 5S565o m n; isS6oSo NcG' log
From this table it will be observed that the average
tarih mills gives On interest On ne cost Of double.
cn@a IL NOT impaired iintii the average comes below
q mills. BY comparing tGe two tables, the following
rat,s IL and Mills makes oIo.oO0,00o per annum on
business ~ favor OF Aarrow-sAuse rarosds AZ
of which goc the benefit ~ commerce Al tue rate OF
mills wnoe the standard road becomes bankrupt me
track and - 100000 Tor contingent and sinking iund;
aud staple feigh!s can be fodu "a without injury
to ys ab ff near 40 per cont below the average
standard roads; AS ia standard roads we must
safely es.ltc tie rae or bulk fc8hs al ayerase cost
that Is mills Tic local and o,her classes Oh yield ne
profit % mills. tey certainly now yeld mills on
standard roads, to cover interest on Investment aho
Ia the belief that the foregoing sharp contrast Of the
systems of roads sufficiently displays men re pece
and relative norris now prepared 10 adv nee 10
tire examination Of the vital point in this question OF
cost rates md Iv0ilis Can this business DC uDl3 W a
narrow-gauge road OF equivalent truckage equipment
and appointments for the av,rase cost vi N nis per
Ton mile! II We need not trouble our3c.Fts laue,
about the 'ariH rates. ~ they Fan Always su
VI narrON-gllyt lOdNn--i.r : ~ -S'h'S 'o
ne cos stands 10 under circumstances 0I ,h' most
favorable cOnvrsOn tO standard roads on fOahs WHeio
the aver ~ Unload 200 ions, the average uh iDo
must co AID this il equal 10 five mills @" ION luie
Should the train load be less th"n 40 ls No
ayera ,e cost must be- proportOnatey less han Dye is
and If the he made less than I'VE mills, llen
Nv SO much the road will have the margin To e"Fer
lnctatOns in waste and contingencies, Tor when teio
DE no calculation made -, - ,,.
IN 1871 tie cost per train mile on me FcnhsyIvaa
Central Railroad % cenis THIS ROAD ls tlnDairasstd
by yfre grades ana very sharp curves, winch HlIl tne
The locomotives IT, 30 tons, ana even WI
f.aL,,. -ruin DAD
I3G tons Making all reasonable allowance Tor grades,
cIryrs and helpers will have fairly 2Oo0ll ca
pacity without increase OF cost The Buffalo ana Efe
road has grades to admit the capacity III c 1000
distributed as follows Maintenance Of road, % oenS
repairs OF machinery. "a cents tota. 200 ns Per
fui mn "A Of 900 tons 10 me tidli INc
PHILADELPHIA and Reading Railroad train loads 300 tons
east small lrcguts average zoo tons; average
niie about % cents or per ton ine -
mills This Reading road niLy ne claimed as ai eHcp-
tiont ease II IL il fairly aeiet 10y The feslhS
Ticn the average ION nsiic IS on fsr
cont es. Et tnese roads have grades IN favor nj mo
leads 4: :ncy have Undated mineral business eAcih-
siyey undo their control and Hniird rttu ana
general business. Incy lair pa a'ls III thIs, Dut N
Oaus the Reading GOaa has VAST ahNahtase III
grades, advantage equal al least VI ONO lni POI '"n
inc.
The Committee Railway TraLsportsiion then re-
poreI htt they had for time past had under con-
sideration the que lion Of freight railway from lib city
to the west and in their invest aons rs to the adva-
bty and praciehity Of lending tine an AMI encourage
meat Of this association PROJECT OF this character
the aucs, ION Of gauge commanded ant received es-
pcci,i attention. The report aided Iour Committee
j. in communication wlth eminent 1uthoIti", oi DOth
ttis rDunrry AMI Europe completed our
report will be- submitted To his Board