The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-05-01
READING RAILROAD.
AN ENGLISH CORRESPONDENTS VISIT TO
MR.. MCLEOD. AN INTERESTING
INTERVIEW.


|. This Is the leading financial and corporation
journal OF England, and great weight attaches
to It's opinions.
The Reading occupies large build
ing on Fourth Street Philadelphia. and
a little farther down are the Pennsyl
vania offices, covering several blocks.
and forming a small town in them
selves. | had not met Mr.. McI,eo
before, and was not sure when ] got
in here if | should have time 70 call on
him.
On mentioning him to a friend he
was SO warmly spoken of, and the good
work he is dong for the regeneration
of the bad old Reading was so highly
praised, that | felt curious to see him.
There was no difficulty about it. A
word to the elevator boy landed me in
half-minute on the second floor, where
Mr.. McLeod's private secretary came
out and ushered me into the innermost
of series of rooms, where he sat at
work in corner by the window.
He came to the Reading from one
of the New York State roads, and had
risen through all the grades of his pro-
fession, from chain boy on surveying
staff. He is still in the prime of life,
seems to be blessed with strong con-
stitution, and has still many years of
hard work in him. A significant point
about him is that he is not of the
oversanguine temperament which has
done so much harm i'll the past among
Reading Presidents.
DEFENCE OF BETTERMENTS.
The gist of Mr.. McLeod's defense
of the heavy betterment expenditures
of the past few years is that for the
previous ten or twelve years the prop
erty had been allowed to run down
seriously. Not only so, but simultan-
eously its powerful competitors had
been rapidly going ahead. In 1887,
the Reading had drifted behind the
time in nearly every branch of its
business.
AS a freight road it had been left
far in the rear by the Pennsylvania
which Mr.. Roberts persstant and
systematic expenditures on improve
ments has made the greatest carrying
road ir America, if not in the world.
AN UNEQUAL STRUGGLE.
1t was this Pennsylvania line, armed
at every point. perfect not only in its
road bed and equipment, but in its
collecting and distributing facilities,
that the bad old Reading had to
struggle with for general business.
1t had few advantages and many dis
advantages. The advantages, where
they existed, were generally incom-
plete, some heavy outlay was render
ed barren through having been broken
off short.
A through line has been built to
New York, one of the best in the
country, -balasted, ninety pound
steel rails, and iron or stone bridges
throughout. Expresses can iun on it
up to eighty miles an hour, and do so
daily. But this magnificent road fails
to get more than fraction Of the Pas
senger traffic, while the lions share
goes to the Pennsylvania.
In Mr.. McLeod's opinion, the only
reason for this onesided division of
business is the Pennsylvania's central
depot at Broad Street. This, was
opened six or seven years ago, and the
number of passengers handled in it
has in that short time doubled itself.
In 1884, it was 1000, 1000 and in 1889,
it has grown to $4,000, 900.
The Reading has no central depot,
only three local ones, in not very con-
venient parts of the city. At these ii
was handling, in 1884, over
o,ooo, 900 passengers, more, it will be
seen, than the Pennsylvania by 80 pei
cent, and, in 1880, the number had
grown to barely ten and a half mil
lions. The Reading, in fact, had beer
stationery in Philadelphia all those
years, its growth having hardly KEEP
pace with that of the population.
THE TERMINAL.
That draw back had to be laid hole
of by the new management, and over
come. 1t has cost years of labor t1
obtain the necessary powers from the
City Council and to frame scheme
which would cover all the complicat
ed requirements of the case. No
until few months ago was the scheme
got into shape, and the capital having
been guaranteed by syndicate, moth
ing remains now but to start th'
work.
A beginning has, in fact, been made
and during the coming summer there
will not be moment lost, either by
night or day. President Mcleod
hopes before the end of 1892 10 have
the tables turned on the Pennsylvania
so far al Philadelphia is concerned
His new depot will be even more cen
trail than that at Broad Street, ano
o...li sc ho, Jl,nu three times aS