The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-27
HOPES OF PASSENGER MEN
Railway officials Expect Rates to Reach
a Tariff Basis in a Few Weeks.
Only IN Chicago and Ohio River Trafic Associa-
tion Territory DO They View the Situation
with Encouragement.

saw flat the 5ltuhtlO1 ds Ltkdkue ihtc5 10
Improving. and the belief is expressed that
in early January, unless it be in the case
above mentioned. passenger rates will be
on tariff basis and we'll maintained The
attitude OF the Chicago * Alton in the
matter of q better maintenance Of rates Is
greatly facilitating o general adjustment
OF knotty questions In passenger circles.
The Missouri river lines. tho Trunk lines,
abe Central Traffic lines and the Trans
continental lines are taking such positions
as 10 force an adjustment Of all differences,
the fight on the Union Pacific being IN that
direction. So far as the Chicago and Ohio
River Traffic Association 10 concerned
shers is q quiet movement TO effect an adj
justment. Whether it will succeed OK not
depends upon the position the
Pennsylvania lines take in the mat
Ter. There Is no question as TO
the Pennsylvania lines having pronted
by the rate war which has now been In
progress min months, as 1t has carried
quite a respectable per cent. OF the busi-
ness betw cen Chicago and Cincinnati and
between Louisville and Chicago, whereas.
prior To the war IL carried q very small per
cent. Whether the Pennsylyania. with q
restoration OF rates. can hold ITS increased
business. Is the question; should it not. any
restoration of rates which might be accom-
plished would be of short duration. The
Pennsylvania has of late so i'm approved the
character of it's trains that it may DO able
10 hold Its present percentage OF tue busl-
ness. There is no question as to the Big
Four having suffered more In Its revenue
between Cincinnati and Chicago and be-
tween indianapolis and Chicago than either
OF Its competitors; not that 1t mas carried
fewer passengers bnt IL has carried its busl-
ness at such low rates. To meet the rates
made by Its competitors. That Nice-presi-
dent Murray would like to see rates placed
on u renluneratIye basis is not a snrprlse;
still. the Big Four covers so much territory
which does not suffer by the Chicago rate
war pIst IL can stand the loss IN revenue
rs We'll as the warning roads
Western Lines D%coming Profitable.
The Financial Chronicle of Dec. "a con-
tains q lengthy article on the financial con-
dltion of the Pennsylvania lines. going into
detail to such an extent as to demonstrate
that Its lines west of Pittsburg are becom-
ing profitable investments. 1t ia stated
that as q whole the western lines earned
zls per cent. In 1891, and will do even better
this year. The fact that the annual income
from these securities stands at about 4 per
cent. which is the rate at which the Penn
sylyania Railroad Company borrows money
upon its bonds. and the additional fact that
the ton mileage of the company has in
creased from 1900. 600. coo IN 1881 20 about
b,O0O.0 00.0N in 1871. would seem TO
furnish the best evidence that the invest
ments have been wIse, and that the policy
pursued has been the proper one for the In
terests OF the shareholders.
Ii the policy referred to had not been
pursued. az Its territory has constantly
been invaded by other systems which have
penetrated into the coke and bituminous
coal districts that furnish SO large q p0r-
tion of it's traffic. and also reached the
large commercial and manufacturing cen
ters of Pennsylvania. the road wOuld in
evitebly have been deprived of a portion
of the traffic heretofore exclusively en-
10y ed by il. without the c-ompensating adj
vantage of the new tonnage secured by the
construction of these branches and tribu-
tarios. The Chronicle says. in coin pairing
the tonnage of the Pennsylvania with the
pther trunk lines for ten years. that while
the tonnage of the New York Central
has increased "a per cent. and that of
the Erie 81 per cent. the tonnage of the
Pennsylvania road has increased 155 DER
cent. or from twenty-six TO over sixty-slx
millions of tons, the aggregate In 1890 being
four times as great as that OF any one of
its com petitors, and about 30 per cent. In
excess of their entire tonnage. As the in
crease In ton mileage has been only 116 per
cent. it 10 clear that a large portion of the
increased business has been due TO the de-
velopment of It's local traffic. The passen-
ger statistics also show a like increa4.
there being o gain of over twenty-seven
millions OF passengers on the Pennsylva-
MIA. and it's volume of traffic being again
IN excess OF the aggregate OF Its three CON-
petitors.
An Old Project Revived.
Now that the Baltimore x Ohio Railroad
Company has secured control of the Ohio
81 Mississippi line the project TO build the
Columbus & H~srdenburg railroad has been
revived. This lie = road twenty miles in
length. and was to have extended from
Columbus to Hardenburg, on the D. * NJ.
BY the building OF this line Columbus
would secure q direct outlet TO Cincinnati,
sc. Louis and Louisville. The road was &C
one time surveyed, and q profile Is now IN
the hands or parties in Bartholomew
county who Will push the matter. Ship
pers and farmers now realize that this road
would he the best one for them that could
be secured. as 10 would give a Baltimore
delivery of wheat. besides competition to
all points west, east and south.
Personal. Local and General Notes.
In the week endlng Dec. "a there were
transferred over the Belt road IL. 95S cars.
o. 7. MeCarty. general passenger agent
of the Baltimore * Ohio Is. WI spent
Christmas in the city.
Belt road engines last week handled but
S3S carloads OF livestock. against 1,206 In
the corresponding week of 1891.
j.. NJ. O'Boyle. general accountant in the
office of the auditor OF the Lake Shore
road. 10 spending the holidays with friends
here.
In local railroad circles yesterday little
was doing. Freight depots were closed all
day, and the offices generally in the after
noon.
II. u. Bennett, private secretary of John
i. Miller. general superintendent of the
Pennsylvania lines, spent Christmas with
friends In this city, returning TO his head
quarters last night.
One year ago the Northern Pacific placed
on sale res-thousand-mile tickets, good
on any portion of Its system. ut ola cents
per mile. and il has proved 50 much of a
success that the sale of such tickets will be
continued.
The Fitchburg Railway Company denies
the current report that the company Ia ne
gotIatIng for a new Western line. The
company is satisfied with the independent
position it now occupies. turning its West
ern business over 10 the Western lines which
recipr0cate.
Now that all legal obstacles to the Ohio
* Mississippi being secured by the Balti-
more * Ohio as part of Its system are re-
moved. it is stated that steps will be taken
IN the next sixty days TO perfect the CON-
solidation of the Ohio ~ MissssIppi and
the Baltimore * Ohio Southwestern, maxi
ing IL the southwestern system of the Ii.
a. q.
The through trains of the Pennsylvania
and oil the Big -Four. for the first time since
EWA