The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-09
Rail- AND CRossT1E.

The Railway Age has compiled the sta
tistics Of railway construction so far in
1893. In abiding to the effect of the
money stringency it says "The wonder
is that construction did not altogether
cease, for the time, and yet we find that
since July l, when the panic was at it's
height, over 200 miles of new track
have been laid down, and that in the nine
months of 1893 that have passed 2,040
miles have been added to the railway
system of the country. Compared with
the seven preceding years this is a small
figure, and yet under the existing condi-
tions it indicates greater activity
than might have been expected.
In AZ of the 4S states and territories some
tracklaying has been done during the
past nine months on a total of 1872 lines,
the only exceptions being the states of
Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Mary
land and Nevada and the Indian Terri
tory. 1t is true, however, that several
other states escaped exclusion from the
list only by single short line; while on
the other hand, most of the states have
had several roads in progress. Pennsyl-
vania has added 865 miles on the surpris-
ing number Of 43 lines, North Dakota 1876
miles on lines, Texas 14l miles on lines,
Missouri lao miles on lines, Ohio 1876
miles on lines, Florida lob miles on
lines, and other states, though add
ing less than 100 miles each, have
done it on numerous short lines. In fact
the average length of all the lines in the
list is only about IL miles. A large
amount of grading has been done in this
and the previous year on which track has
not been laid, and in ordinary times it
would be safe to assume that about SO per
cent. more track would go down in the
is in sight sufficient unfinished work to
make the total length of new track for
1893 at least 5000 miles; but so many en-
terprises have been temporarily post
poned by the financial collapse that it will
not now be surprising if the total for the
year scarcely exceeds $500 miles.
The following is the circular issued by
Commissioner Stahlman of the Southern
Railway and Steamship Association, an
nouncing that the differential of IL cents
on cotton to Norfolk had been reduced
cents, the result of the recent meeting in
Chicago; "The range of ocean quotations
from the various South Atlantic and Vir-
gnia ports cannot secure fair share of
the cotton traffic at differential of IL
cents per 100 pounds from points within
the association, where that differentAl
now prevails. The commissioner there
fore has decided to authorize a reduction
of > cents per 100 pounds in the rates 20
the Virginia ports on cotton from com
petitive points within the territory
specified, to take effect on and after Oct.
10, and to remain in effect until
Nov l, unless otherwise advised. 1t is
well to explain in this connection that the
above ruling is issued pending the final
decision of the Southern Railway and
Steamship Association, through its board
of arbitration, and gives to the Virginia
ports the relief tor which they ask. The
boards decision will be rendered on or
about the 2Sth instant. Under the COM
missloner's ruling, Augusta, Atlanta,
Macon, Athens, Columbus and Americas,
Ga, Montgomery, Ala, and in fact all
the important cotton markets throughout
South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama
will necessarily be thrown in closer touch
with Norfolk and other Virginia ports.