The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-09-03
PENNSY'S PROSPECTS.
President Roberts Looks
for a Very Brisk Sea-
son of Paying
Business.
MILLIONS IN IMPROVEMENTS.
All Grade Crossings on the New
York Division to Be Ab0l-
ished-The J. G. Depot.

Spec1ut 10 tne JeF5eu Cttv NefOs-
PHILADELPHIA. Sept. 8. 1s91.-In an in
terview this morning with your cores
pondent, President George B. Roberts OF
the Pennsylvania Railroad took an ex-
ceedingly bright view of tine prospects Of
the coming fall and winter. In speaking
of the business that has come and that
which is to comehe said:-"The business
at the present time is very good, butrhere
is not that activity in the iron industry
which affects the prosperity of Pennsyl-
vania. There is great deal of activity
in the iron business, but the prices have
been fixed at such a close figure that
there is not large enough margin be-
tween the cost of manufacture and the
price received for the goods.
1.-THE demand for steel ra lis so far this
ye sr has not been so great, owing TO the
forsed economy of the railroads. The
Pennsylvania Railroad Company has
bought just about the ordinary amount,
that is about the same as last year, but
we expect to lay more steel rails Tor re-
pairs this year than ever before.
MILLIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
81 think the outlook for the country for
general traffic is good. Our coal traffic
is very good, and the rates received have
also been good. The severe sGrike in the
coke regions hurt our business somewhat,
but now 1t is in good shape and we nope
withstanding the dull times during
the first six months of tho
year we decided to increase our equip
ment of box and coal cars, and
had built between 1900 and 5000 of this
kind of rolling stock. OF this number
and lake trade between Philadelphia and
Erie, via the Pennsylvania Railroad and
the Philadelphia and Erie road. At pres
ent our cars are all occuBied, those in
transit from the West being loaded with
grain. and those from the East with mer-
chandise. The outlook was dark, but not
withstanding this our company will
spend between S. 00o, 900 and Sa, ,000. 900 for
of the road" J"
"What improvements does the Penn
sylvania Railroad contemplated" was
asked.
80 far as work is concerned," said
President Roberts; there is a great deal
going on, but the principal work at pres
ent is at Trenton, where we are widening
| the road, which compels us to extend the
| overhead bridges. This work we expect
Jersey City is nearly completed.
sWhat does your company intend to do
| with grade crossingsT
'sEvery grade crossing on the New York
Division Is to be done away with. We
have just about completed an agreement
with the authorities OF Elizabeth by
which all the grade CROSSINGS and the
tracks of Bhe New Jersey Central road
| will be passed overhead. Between here
and HoImesburg junction three more
bridges wiA be erected.
| OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
when will the Bread Street Station,
| in this city, be extendedW
| Last winter I bad plans prepared for
! the extension of the Broad Street Sta
| tion, but the necessity for improvements
\ in other places retarded the Improvement
of this station. Another reason WAY the
station has not been extended Is that we
are experimenting, that is, 1t Is our In
tention to move our Fourth street
offices, or nearly all Of them, to Broad
| and Market streets, but as we do not
know what effect the smoke from the
train shed and the vibrations from
the trains will have, we have de-
cided to make q similar experiment
at the New Jersey City depot. Most OF
| our New York and Jersey City offices are
| to be located in the new depot. and II the
| men in the Offices are not disturbed by
the rumblings of the trains ana smoke
from the engines. then we will locate our
| offices at Broad and Market streets. The
station on Market street will be from
Broad to Sixteenth streets, and eight or
nine or more stories high"
why Is 1t that freight rates decline,
but passenger rates do not ?"
Simply because the freighthusiness In
creasss, but the quality Of the cars are
1 the same. Passengers must have lux.
| uries and conveniences. and most OF all
fast time. Theya are not satisfied with the
oars which were built several years ago.
| Now all this takes much more money,
| and it takes big train to pay expenses,
but with increase of time an engine can
not pull a large train, and hence the
reason there is no reduction In passenger
| rates.
"There is large increase in the prod
not only the railroads, but all will share
in the result. The business for the rest
or this year looks very bright"