The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-23
ONETHOUSANDNEWC CARS
THE CENTRAL RAILROAD IN
CREA SING ITS FACILITIES.


the Transportation Problem-He Ex-
plains the Advantages of Consolida-
tion-The Effect of Hostile Legisla-
tion-Mutuality in All Business and
the 1nterdependence of Comm ercial
Interests Promotive of Public Good.
The Central railroad is opening bids for
1000 ventilated freight cars. Bids for
about $50 have already been opened. With
this mum err the road will increase ITS trans
portation facilities in a measure, but Cen
eral Manager Belknap says that the Central
will be deficient in facilities with twice that
number of extra cars The whole time and
energy of the officials have been devoted to
increasing the roads facilities, and when the
order for 1000 cars has besn placed an
effort will be ma ie to get more.
General Manager Beknap said yesterday
that the Central cannot afford to wait for
the cars, aud it would not If the companys
finances were such as 10 warrant the build
ing of them That is the barrier, he said.
PRACTICALLY AT a sTANDsTILL.
Antagonistic legislation in this state, he
added, has resulted in great detriment to
the road, and until some change is made
the Central will in a measure be at "A stand
still, so far as being able to improve lis ia
cilties to handle the traffic of this and other
states in the south which is increasing rap
idly every year. The bills recently intro
duced in the Georgia legislature oondem-
nAtory Of the combinations, or SO called
amalganatlOn, by which the Central rail-
road practically secured all the funds it
required 10 make the necessary improve
ments and to push the work Of new lines,
have frustrated its plans, and caused those
to whom it looked for aid, to withdraw it.
Certainly TO my mind said General
Manager Belknap, land from common
sense standpoint, being no lawyer or polti-
clan, it is advantageous to get into the state
all the foreign capital that we can, and for
any legal purpose whatever.
GET CAPITAL INVESTED.
The capital cannot be used in such a
manner as TO escape the control of the legal
power of the state; the legislature will exist
as long as the state, and will always have
the same power of enacting laws that ne
cessity may show to be advantageous or
necessary. The same commission will exist
and he same powers Of controlling traffic
can be exercised in the future as at present.
Why, therefore, they should be worked to
prevent the influx of that which we stand so
much in need, and which would materially
enhance the taxable values of the state as
well as the various enterprises upon which
the entire public is dependent passes my
comprehension. Every enterprise put in
motion, whether by the capital of one man,
or the consolidated tai of several mon,
is of value TO q far greater number than
those who put it in motion. They nece;-
saTily are compelled to have large amount
of assistance, and make use of large
amounts of supplies and appliances, which
must be manufactured by others, hence
they put in motion many more things than
the one which they ostensibly control.
THE MORE ROADS THE MORE BUSINESS.
The more railroads chat are built in the
state the more business they must develop
in order to support themselves. This they
can only do by Offering advantages TO vari-
Gus branches of business for the production
of tonnage. 1t is the history of the country
for the last twenty-five years, a large por-
ton of which was without any pressure
from leg slatOrs or commissions, that rates
are constantly decreased until they are now
possibly only one-half to one-quarter what
they were before"
In answer TO a question as to what bills
introduced recently are objectionable, the
general manager replied that the Olive bill
is one of hom, but there were others of
kindredscharacter. The Olive bill seemingly
has for its object the prevention of the con
sOlidation of roads. There was "a time in
the memory of all when roads Of various
lengths existed between important points,
and which were managed and run absolutely
independently of each other.
DISADVANTAGES OF SHORT LINES.
In a journey of few hundred miles
numerous changes of cars had to be made,
freight had TO be transferred at every juno
ton point with new line-whaJ today
would be considered a most embarrassing
u in, oh >l,,tr
Independence OF each individual road was
so desirable, why did it not continued
"In what way was it obviatedW
mot by syndIcates or deals or any of
these things, now popularity supposed to be
so harmful, but by a pressure of natural
oircumst nces, u necessity for doing the
business of the country in more natural,
quicker and better way. Long lines were
formed and were operated as a single line
Nearly all the systems, SO called of to-day,
are the results of such natural combinations.
By and through it, branch lines, which
could not be made self-supporting except at
rates which would be almost prohibatory,
are now treated as q part of the same line;
in the same manner, and on the same basis
and rates are given, which alone they could
not afford to give"
MUTUALITY IN ALL BUSINESS.
Maj. Belknao explained that as these small
lines were feeders to the main line they
could be opera ed at cost, or even, as is fire.
quently the case, at a loss The business
which they throw on the main line aids the
parent company IN supporting them. The
general manager is a great believer in mu-
tuahty in al classes of business and in the
interdependence of all commercial inter
es,s, and he thinks that the position is alto
gether analogous to that of a merchant who
sells a certain line Of goods at cost and
sometimes slightly below cost in order to
give his store attraction. 1t results in suca
added purchases and increased importance
10 his business as will give him sufficient
proht-hrinE him so much into notice aid
secure him SO much additional business az
TO make good his sacrifice on the one ar
ticle. Then directing his attention to the
roads, he said: IF this combination, under
the natural course OF circumstances, Of
small roads into systems of 1000 or 1900
miles has operated for good. how is it DOS
slble that combination involving 5000 OF
5000 miles is going to do harmN
ADVANTAGES OF CONSOLIDATION.
The same Inns of argument that shows the
ability of large corporation 70 sustain and
give good servics on a comparatively un-
profitable branch, will apply in a large
combination 90 larger, but comparatively
Improbable roads in "a larger combination,
not only so by the facilities afforded the
public on the single system, but the facil-
ties extended the public by the larger
systems Mlesge tickets, for instance,
good over loo or 1000 miles, can be made
good over 5000 or s 600 miles. greatly TO the
comfort and convenience Of the travelling