The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-03-18
The Pennsylvania asa c.sburser.
Editorial in Philadelphia Press, March ion
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lBlitorial In Philadelphia Press, Na-ch iotf,
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The speech ct President Roberts at
the annual meeting of the Pennsylva.
MIA Railroad was interesting in giving
a novel and striking idea of The impor-
tance to the business interests Of the
community of a great corporation
The pu'lic, except that portion of i.
employed by the railroads, is apt to
regard them as tremendous concern
which simply moves freight and carries
passengers and as great absorber OF
money. They do not know. or they
forget, that the railroad company pays
back to the community in cash prompt
ly the larger portion Of its earnings in
wages, and that it is, besides, large
purchaser of manufactures and a pa
tron of every department of trade A
purchasing agent in this city recently
bought for his company some sewing
needles and an anchor on the same
day. 1t would be difficult to mention
any article of commerce in which a
railroad company in its capacity as a
consumer does not deal.
In his speech, Mr. Roberts pointed
out the edent of the Pennsylvania
Railroads operations as a purchasing
and consuming portion of the commu
nifty. He showed that during the last
decade that corporation had absorbed
the productions Of Philadelphia alone
to the ex ent OF SIS, $4,000 or at the
rate OF Sr,5oo, 900 per year The man
or corporation which adds $1,000 per
day to the business of his city, and
doe II for ten years, ought to be cul.
tiva ed. This sum, it is understood,
includes only the money spent in actu-
al nprovements in terminals, wharves,
warehouses, shops in the city, &c.
which indirectly tend to make further
increases in commerce and trade in
many directions.
Tne total expenditures of the Penn.
sylsania Railroad are, OF course, much
larger, and, after showing what the
road had done for the city, President
Roberts took up those figures. In the
single year of 1891 the Pennsylvania
Railroad expended in this Common
wealth the enormous sum of S52.ooo
900, or at the rate of $1,000, 900 per
week There are not three railroads
in the United States whose gross earn
ings are equal to this sum, fact which,
after all, gives but small idea of the
immensity of the Pennsylvania's dis
bursting capacity, as we believe forty
other millions were spent on portions
OF the line outside the State. The fig-
ures do not need elaboration. They
demonstrate at once how much and
how important part of the commun
lty the Pennsylvania Railroad is, and
point out It's intimate relations to al
matters pertaining TO business in a
most striking way.
The ultimate effects Of these large,
constant, and timely expenditures car
not be Contenporareously known or
pointed out. We Of this generation
can only see that they have added
largely 10 the convenience of the pub
lie, that they have made the city more
accessible to freight shippers, that they
have added to our manufacturers, and
in hundred ways built up and pro
noted the stability Of the city and
Commonwealth. presldert Roberts
and his able lieutenants are to be con-
graduated on having done so much
towar i the development of commerce
and the promotion Of all that tends TO
broader and more benehcent civili-
zation.