The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-07

ages.
If the Erie keeps on with its peculiar econ
omy, it will be housing its cars before the
snow storms are expected during the winter
months.
There viii be a meeting OF the General
Managers of the Chicago and Ohio River pool
in this city tomorrow. A large number OF
prominent railway officials will attend.
All of the local agents are hustlins fos
New Orleans business, and some OF the lines
have men employed to work the State FOR
large parties. There has been no break in
rates as yet.
A dispatch was received here yesterday
from Chicago announcing that the pssssn-
ger agents of east-bound roads had adj
journed at 2:30 p. N. without making any
provision tor the resto ration of rates.
1t is understood that the Illinois Central
and Evansville and Terre Hsuts Roads are
very anxious for admittsncs to tae Chicago
and Ohio River pool, while the Wabash is
holding back because 1t is not satisfied with
It's percentage. Commissions Richardson
was in It. Louis, last week, it is said for the
purpose of ~endeavering to bring the Wabash
into the pool.
The proposition to weigh live stock con-
signed to lines comprising the Indianapolis
east-bound pool is a good one aud should be
acted Upon at once. The majority Of the
railroads are in favor OF ii If the shippers
are not. This system is in operation in all
of the larger cities throughout the country.
and the only wonder is that it was not
brought into existence here long ago.
A large portion of the indianapolis roads
continue to use SLACK coal, much to the dis.
satisfaction of engineers and fremeu. Toe
1 IokG~- Is-L A. Il
der to keep her booming" they are com
PEELED TO throw IN coal almost constantly. a
large number of persons hold that instead
of saving the railroads lose money by using
slack coal. Hard coal is used by nearly all
of the more important Eastern roads, while
IN the far West q considerable amount Of
wood is burned in locomotives.
The annual meeting of the Belt directors
was held yesterday, when it was determined
to declare q 3 per cent. semi-snnusl diyi-
dend. A surplus of 6 per cent. of the cap
itsl stock remains in the treasury after
meeting all expenses. According to the re.
port of superintendent Ijams. of the Stock
yards, nearly l 900 more hogs were received
in 1884 than in 1883 The cattle receipts for
1883 were S31 III, and the report for 1854
Will chow that over 1000, 900 hogs were re-
ceived. The stockholders will meat in Feb.
ruary for the election of directors. The an
nual report will show net earnings Of about
$4,000, Of which $4,000 will have been
paid in dividends.
The new lines to Chicago may have had
their maximum effect last year, though we
can not be certain of this; but they are not
likely very soon to carry a much larger
share of the traffic than they got last year,
and their effect on rates has probably been
fully felt, as they may now be said to be
established lines. But the Chicago traffic is
now so divided that the growth OF 1t profits
any one of the old roads much less than it
used to. The Lake Shore, when the great
growth of traffic came in the latter part OF
1879. was carrying about 90 per cent. OF the
whole freight and 36 per cent. of the live
stock; now only about 16 per cent. of the
freight and 20 per cent. OF the live stock.
Then an increase of 500, 900 tons in the year
ly shipments gavel 1t 80, 600 tons; nov il will
give 1t but so, 600. A growth of through
business or an advance in through rates is
therefore much less important to IL than it
used to be.
In commenting on the recent financial
statement of the Michigan Central and Can-
ada Southern Road, the Railroad Gazette
says: ut seems, then, that this compau V
can not afford to have its business get any
worse. For the past year it has barely been
able to pay the interest on It's debts, aud in
the last half of it not quite that. The i'm
mediate outlook for il is not brilliant.
Whatever may happen to through trafic
(which may easily be more profitable in the
first half OF 1885 than it was last year, but at
present, including passenger traffic. is prob.
ably less SOL the lumber business, which for
several years has been al important source
earnings to this road, is going to be very
much less this year, and general local bust
ness can hardly be better than q year ago
for some months to come at least. This may
not greatly matter in the case of roads that
have been earning q considerable surplus,
but the Michigan Central has no margin
over fixed charges left"
But there can be no doubt that the general
complaint of the detention of cara In New
England is well founded. This is due, in
the first place, to the delay Of o~onsigness 10
unloading their freight; and secondly, to
the laxity of the management of some roads
IN requiring tue prompt unloading Of the
cars they deliver to the consignees. In s1ms
of the manufacturing towns-and this is es-
pecislly true OF p~aper-msking plsces-many
car loads OF material are delivered on the
side tracks Of the mills, aud, there being no
adequate storage houses. the goods are sui.
tered to remain on the cars until they are
wanted, storage room being thus secured
at the expense OF the owners OF the cars.
In this way cars have been detained
Tor months, in some cases six or
eight months. So, too, shippers who start
out with freight bound for cars and a
market" detain the cars consigned TO them
till they can dispose Of their merchandise at
a satisfactory price; and, where the goods are
not perishable, this may be for weeks and
possibly for months. This extraordinary
detention of cars st one large manufacturing
city of Massachusetts, came to be such an
outrageous evil that the Clearing House
Association was recently forced to take some
action in the premises, and the roads which
deliver the cars TO the coLsignees at this
place have been notified that they will be
required to pay demurrage for every day
that car is detained after forty eight hours
from the time IL is Observation-Disclosures Ca
zette.