The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-11-22
100000 FOR
IMPROVEMENTS.
President Roberts Talks of
What the Pennsylvania
Will Do-The Chicago
Fair Travel.
UNIFORM RATES OF FREIGHT.
Special Trains At Special Rates
Mean Loss to Both Public
and Road.

Au~1LAOhLfhlA. NOV. ~, leSS.-AU q
meeting of the Road Committee of the
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad Company held
yesterday 50, 900. 900 was ordered to be ex-
pended for the addition of third and
fourth tracks and the enlargement of the
bridges on the Philadelphia and Middle
divisions. Nothing was done toward
making any improvements on the Pitts
burg division, but it is understood that
this division will receive the same atten-
ton later on.
President Roberts wa a busy man yes
terday. His absence in New York last
week, when ne was attending the meet
ing of the presidents, had caused a pile of
work TO accumulate, and with attending
to his correspondence and presiding at
the committee meeting, four O'CLOCK soon
rolled round Although his time was
fully occupied with important subjects
he spared a little of it to talk to a re-
porter of the work done by the trunk
Lines Association in New York.
One of the most important actions the
Trunk Lines Association ever made was
to adopt a measure for the abolishing of
secret rates. In speaking on this subject
President Roberts said:-"We. believe
that the safe policy for the railroad COM
panies to pursue in view Of the stringent
laws against pooling, is to place the con-
troll of rate making power as far as pos
sible in the hands of the Joint Committee,
and for them TO regulate the rates over
the various lines III the Trunk Lines ter
rltory, so as to equalize. as far as possible.
the differedt facilities offered By each
company, and to give each railroad COM
pany a reasonable proportion of traffic,
thus preventing demoralizing influences
of secret rates.
A UNIFORM RATE OF FREIGHT.
while Keeping within the laws which
prevent The pooling of traffic, we en-
deavor to keep a uniform and proper rate
on freight on the various lines. There
were representatives of all railroad com.
panies present and they fully appreciated
the gravity of the situation which was SO
largely reducing the gross revenues in
the face OF larger volumes of ratfic being
offered than they could transport. The
Pennsylvania Railroad Is now moving
from 10 to IL per cent. more traffic than it
did last year. and it is receiving less gross
money than it did during the same period,
while it was generally admitted that the
rates received by this company were quite
as high, IL not higher, than the rates re-
ceiyed by other companies for similar
traffic"
In regard to the Chicago Fair and the
passenger rates TO be in force next year.
President Roberts said it was not fully
understood by the people at large as only
part of this matter was settled, the rate
for large parties being referred to the
general passenger agents for their action.
Mr.. Roberts continued:-"The number
of high speed passenger trains the vari-
Gus run lines are running to Chicago is
quite as large as can be run without
greatly interfering with the immense
freight traffic. With the purpose of en-
deavoring TO meet the wishes of the pub
lie. the Trunk Lines Association had
agreed to run other trains at somewhat
reduced rates of speed with a material
reduction in rate of fare, thus leaving,
the matter of rates to be charged to large
bodies Of people. moving together aud
under one organization, to be taken up
by the general passenger agents of the
various lines OF the Trunk Lines AS
ISOLATION.
"The running of these special excur-
sions had a serions effect on the regular
trains and freight traffic of the railroads.
During the Grand Army meeting in
Washington last September the passen-
ger traffic was very heavy and not only
our road, but others as we'll, were sew
erely handicapped In the handling of its
freight business. 1t was several days be-
fore a freight wheel was moved. and the
delay in the movement of freight WAS re-
fiected for weeks. This alone makes the
running of extra trains a grave question,
in addition to the fact that the railroad
companies make little or no money.
THE PUBLIC ALSO LOSES.
Eat the same time the entire public is
seriously a loser by the great interference
to the general movement of freight traffic
and other passenger trains. While the
railroad companies are DESTROYS of meet
ing the full wishes of the public in refer
ence to cheap fares, they cannot be un
minfful that they owe something to
thei AStockholderS.
stu England during any great event in
which there is likely TO be q largely in
creased passenger movemeut,th tue railroad
fares there are frequently advanced so as
to prevent any unnecessary Interference
with the general movement Of passenger
and other trains"
The regular passenger business will be
heavily taxed as it is, but If there are any
parties who are DESTROYS of attending the
Fair in a body, a rate will be made to
them which will be considerably lower
than the regular fare, but the same speed
Will not be made as on the regular trains,
as the special train will be larger and will
not make the run in less thai thirty-fye
hours from New York.
The refusal of the Trunk Lines Associ-
alton to make a reduction in rates to
Chicago on regular trains was not nm
looked for by the majority OF people who
attended the annual meeting OF the Grand
Army a5 Washington. For weeks after
this event the railroad companies were
more or less affected, and it was said then
that granting concessions to large
parties to visit and attend meet
ings in the large cities would be
doue away with. 1t is now understood
that something like this has been done,
and before a reduced fare Is granted for
auy event the matter will receive consid-
cradle attention.. Cities like New York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago and
Others of like size are TO be deblrred from
having special rates. as the business done
is large enough and does not warrant any
reduction.
One Yawns. the Other H~iccoughs.
Snec;nI tn The Torso, C;f,, za,,a