New-York tribune., 1879-01-06

oecss wSsn H. annual gross bat little
short Of are the largest: with s9s nve NsifSer saf
are those earnings peculiarly absorbed In the the
necessary operation q the TSad only in
tHa eoun,ry. the New-York Central ana
Hudson RIVER the Pennsylvania and the Central Paeihc
opeang expenses 10 gross receipts t42 per cent? has
during the last three years aveIagen @ Ta,Iroad com
piny without exception. These facts are teIeTi - bmf
this connection not to preaaoe b e character OF the
standard shoud be applied to its Ioan
ondeayored 10 bear continually In mind the peculiar
condition of climate SOIL traic ana pGno IN many
nect most fayorabiy placed for economical worng
tnai railroad is also subject 10 natural ari1paIlv
pecujiar 10 itself For Dstanee, the line was e,
,d nt nd the road was constructed rather IL wouid
seem to time and money anu 10 ear l, .o"nd
sidy than with any regard to what are sou %
ene1neering rules 1t surface road IN when cus
and embankments were careniiy aVolIsu tha snh
ihy was maid by the mile such method OF constrnc
ton while saved money on the one t ~ V
fnre INTO frstclass, permanent work II would hatf
ally be expected, according TO al esapisned
that the alignments would DC ree%insu, % 'Ho Iosncr
bankments made higher and the cuts ueeIet,
while surface undulatlons would pave Deen
10 grade Experience however mas SHOWN tnat
sagacioIsy designed or otherwise, the Orighal con-
strucion for this particular road the pest @
tOn possible II has enabled the Iacklnen 70 enHIu i.
successuy with clouds of fine dry snow, which drlf III
Winter over the plains filling every cut but 6Io",hs ing
whole tendency OF the company III 'ne re-
newal of its road has been Io, 70 ,,s scuh On.
stead of going through them the straight INES AT an
grade An effort being made to Keep the
at all points slightly elevated ABOVE the couully
through which IL passes
SHARP CRITICISMS on THE ROAD.
The report proceeds to show that as respects fuel
ballast and building material Except wood ana also as
respects the OF grades and the supply OF coal Or
fuel. the Union Pacific in comparison with the general
y OF Eastern roads, most advautageousy placed IL
ia remarked that the business in both freight ana
passen through and local, whether originating and
ending on the line of the road or not, usually carried
long distances 40 that none Of the complicated move
mens and frequent interchange of trains Is required
which is usual on Eastern roads This, OF course &c
mands no such elaborate aud costly ARRANGEMENT Oh
tracks sdiugs yards, buildings and general appliances
as s found upon roads with much smaller traic IN other
portions of the country
Taking all these things into consideration and making
fu allowance for them directors say they are u-
able 10 report that the present condition OF tue Union
Pacific Road ID all respects satisfactory Ihey con
tinue:
On the contrary, when measured by the standard
which has suggested its defcleneie are many a
apnaTent The policy as respects the completion and
renewal OF its road which the company apparehti3
pursued aud now "a pursuing might perhaps Jd JuugSdd
by the test strict business principles III the seHu
management OF practical monopoly, be deemed iary
liberal one In making their examinations, u Is rue 'he
present directors labored under the great dncuS oi
having previous knowledge upon winch TO , Dare
obvious that the property, instead OF dettrlorai-
ing. Is being brought up win steadhcss, thYuEh
still however. far short of whatwith its original eadow
aud aIge present earnings ought 10 Dt; au SS
far short in almost every 'pcct OF tuat bgh staiaru
excellence. both III scope ana III detail 10 which os
familiar with the great trunk lines oil the couhr! arc
As rcsrds The oca management. the directors are not
su ujceftlv acquainted with those who compose H. U
offer any criticism of value The officers are
doubtless competent, energetic and faithful as ndNes
tonsllv tbcy are exprrrnred There is. however, moth
Iapp %
division OF LABOR aud study ~ DETAIL "hch "Oulu nl-
tuat it Is the WORK OF any superior orgahIhf f
beng simple TO crudcness, ana quite lacking III
system This absence of thorough orGaL Lizaton - very
anpurrn Whr lever results examined IN detail On
the rOad itself instance 1t Is evident that the rtanu
ard ence where II has Deen established al all
has not been ixad enOug rigdy insisted upon
II is true that the Union Pacific mas always been opei-
ated anu renewed under circumstances unIasoraDle t
least its thorough reOrgdn Zdtou Us ownership mas
than once canged ana, as Is wen known II mas Al
times been In hands more socitos IS 10
stock market than honestly desrOnS oi attaining
even material exec icnce. The local mahagemeht mas
accordingly never been ihE o,
however good and mpreheHsve Its ideas may have bcen
has u ever OccuPltu ioaltoi ", " ~ h,i"ns mat
abed II 10 carry lhein out eanNnG - Il 1 t
no system whatever has been pursued III hhng mp the
subordinate situations. As vacancies occurred OIctr~
have come 10 the Oau from All etcuonS o tIo coiy
and have brought with them theories ana melnols
snnarent uniformity OF work. While the individu Il
division supernendents and roadm ssters appeared eth
s,nSars nor II was obvious did tey in many
have any conception OF what the hlShest stahuarus
Passing to details. the Government directors report
among other conclusions based their inspection that
the road is beraly equipped with rolling stock; that
the company to be pursuing system ttc ana
sufficiently liberal policy It's bridgcs,lud that the road
bed although as whole not yet brought up to the
Standard OF excellence is being RAPIDLY improved, and
the completion of its needed Improvement Will be
.inne and lnexpensIye matter. The directors comment
on the ire uary the spacing and size OF the Ties and
the sloveuly manner in which the work OF spiking
has been done and say her IL absence OF symmetry
and disregard of appearance about the track which are
not suggestive OF nrst-cliss railroad They say Inc
stations and other buildings the line, even
at central points like Ogden, Cheyenne, Krarney
and OMAHA are generally not crediable to
the company The originally cheap and temporary
structures at these points have deterorated with
me and large and expensive renewals in TINS respect
should already have been made aud cannot mic1 longer
be deferred The only exceptions noed are the general
offices Of the corporation at naha, the new depot at
Council Bluffs aud the roundhouses at division centres
They say further:
Ills in the character of its rails. however that the
Union Pacific is deficient Considering the large
& S S Of renewals in this respect has been
carried much too far While during tne last SIX years
six rsfcass roads in other parts OF the country have
wholly replaced their iron WIN steel, relnoy-
ing every detective rail from their tracks the Union
O26 This paratyely small portion Of Its track ia
fairly up standard, but the remainder can hardly be
ranked as even tne htcOnu CidSS' ou tAdihIud
ton has led us to believe that the policy pursued
by the company in regard 10 the material condition Of
tie property while careful and sufficiently SAFE Is by
no means liberal The impression given 10 an inspector
ia that the principles OF economy very
ricidly enforced by II distant Board Of Directors
ON Inc local management The percentage OF operating
expenses to gross earnings is very closely watched
However IL mght he If the road were completed and
brought throughout up TO frstcass standard IL IL oh
viOus that the percentage OF operating expenses Is now
smaller than il should be- and the that 1t Is
smaller Is made plainly apparent by any close inspec
ton The policy of the company IN this respect has not
becn such No the country had rght to expect tae
Government 10 insist upon.
THE BUSINESS POLICY NOT LIBERAL.
The report next eaborately considers the relations Of
the onion Pacific with .he public generally. the nhabi
,ants and with tho connecting lines The directors re-
mark that in view OF the cOmpcxity OF tie interests
rnreh hny hiscnes the Irct OF the nrOper hnsiness