The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-06-10
THE RAILROADS.
DOINGs IN THE GREAT RAILROAD
WORLD.

The southern railways could pay the
cost of their recent change of gauge out
of their savings i'll one year from the abol
ishment of ticket commissions.
In the northwestern fight it seems to be
dispute as to whether the tail shall
waggle the dog or the dog waggle the tail
The latter way would appear to be the
most natural at least.
BIG MORTGAGE.
Tie Chicago and Great Western railway
company filed mortgage with the secre-
tary of state of Illinois to secure $S,OOo.00O
of per cent mortgage bonds.
THE PASSENGER RATE WAR.
AS result of the passenger war between
the Rock Island and St. Paul and North
western, Arbitrator Wilson of the Chicago
st. Louis and Missouri River passenger
association, mas issued a circular author
izing the use of cut rates, 81 frst-class
and 1925 second-class, Chicago to Council
Bluffs, as basis for constructing rates
from Chicago to points beyond Omaha.
Where the totals so obtained are lower
than the prevailing rates through Kansas
City and other Missouri river points their
use by such routes for through tickets
from Chicago is authorized. This circu-
lar principally effects rates to points i'll
COLORADO, Utah and California.
THE FIGHT CONTINUES.
When the northwestern lines get their
troubles fought out and one side or the
other squarely whipped they will all be
ready to agree to pool their earnings and
discontinue in earnest the payment of
commissions. But this is no reason why
the railways in other parts of the country
should not cut off commissions as the
trunk lines and the Texas roads have al
ready done and the Central lines are almost
prepared to do.
TO BE SOLD.
The Denver o. Rio Grande will be sold
on July II and the company Immediately
reorganized. From the assessments on
the stock the sum of $2000,000 will be
realized for use upon the road. 1t is
probable that the line will be Strengthened
| in places so as to admit of a change of
gauge to standard. The new company
will have fixed charges of about $1,375,000
and the first annual interest will not be
due Until Jan. l, 1887. This sum the
road will easily earn.
ADOPTION OF MODERN APPLIANCES.
The Legislatures of several states have
enacted laws providing for the adoption
of automatic freight car couplers. In
Europe the government in number of
countries has ordered all the railways to
adopt the continuous, train brake for their
passenger cars.
This is evidently the beginning of
policy on the part of the state authorities
to compel the railways to equip their
motive power with all the latest and most
modern life and property saving inven-
tions.
1t would be naturally supposed that the
companies would be prompted by motives
of self interest to use these cOntrivances
whereby they would save greatly in the re
duced cost of operations, the smaller like
lihood of accident and the smoother move
ment of freight trains. But the executive
officers have so much to think of that they
procrastinate in some things to their
great disadvantage.
Of all modern appliances the automatic
brakes for freight cars and the power
brakes for freight locomotives are the
most necessary and comparatively the
cheapest
Then why not adopt them?