Kansas City daily journal., 1896-11-22
BETTER TIMES JANUARY 1.
RAILROADS AND MANUFACTURERS
ARE PREPARING FOR THEM.
Result of a Canvass of Two Hundred
Companies-The Trans-Missouri
Freight Association Ad-
journs-RaiIroad News.

Chicago H., Nov. 21.-The Railway Age,
in its issue of this week. will publish a
summary Of reports received from some
200 railway companies and manufacturers
in all parts OF the country regarding the
effect on business up to date of McKinley's
election The conclusions drawn from
these reports are as follows:
First. Has the railway business picked
up at all? We are compelled to answer:
No. it has not. In parts of the West
and Southwest it has been even distinctly
worse since election than it was before.
There has not even been an increase in
the little local passenger travel. Here and
there are isolated cases of increased activ-
ity, but looking at the country as a whole
there has been no improvement yet, either
in travel or traffic. This fact is establish
ed beyond question by the reports received.
Second. Although there has as yet been
no increase in traffic the railway compa-
MES, as a whole, have very materially in
creased their expenditures, especially in
two ways, as will be seen clearly from the
abstracts of reports which are published
below. There have been many increases Of
shop forces and a very general tendency
to purchase more freely. This last fact is
shown more conclusively by the reports
from manufacturers than from the re-
ports of the companies themselves.
Third. Still more important than the
above is the number of companies which
report that they had all plans made for
a reduction in force in case the election
had gone the other way. These reports
emphasize very strongly the gravity of
the danger from which the country has
been saved. The railway companies gener-
ally have, during hard times, been keep
ing up their forces and expenses at point
in excess of what existing business would
Justify, in the hope of return of prosper
ity, and they are now in position to
meet any increase of demands that may
be made upon them without further ex-
penditures.
Fourth. The expectation Of revival In
the near future is almost universal. There
is a curious unanimity in the expression
of a belief that this revival will really De-
gin to be felt after the first of January
There is also-most cheering of allan EVIL
dent belief in all directions that this re-
vival will be permanent-that is to say,
that it will last for several years, at least.
In conclusion, we would say that the eVi-
dences of an actual increase IN business
to-day are more marked than we had eX-
pected to find. The improvement so far,
however, is largely one of sentiment Rail-
ways are taking advantage of existing low
prices to place orders for goods and make
betterments which they hope that an in
creased demand will soon justify. Manu-
facturers are similarly opening up and in
creasing their output so as to be fore
handed and ready to furnish stock when
it is needed All this implies an actual re-
turn of confidence. With the extension of
that confidence so that money will be
available for new enterprises and for ex-
parsions of existing business the circle of
improvement will widen; and as 1t widens
and the number of men earning wages
and having wages to spend. go on increasing
those who have dared to live in advance
of tho times will reap the reward of their
courage.
Little Rock, Ark, Nov. Blowing to the
heavy increase in traffic on the Missouri
Pacific's Iron Mountain road, the working
hours in the shops here have been increas-
ed to nine per day. This is the first
time in two years that the nine-hour rule
has been enforced Seven hundred men
are affected, representing big increase
of wages for them.
Sedalia, No., Nov. 21.-(Special) Com
mencing Monday morning the Missouri Pa
cific shops in this city, for the first time
in several months, will run on full time,
six days of eight hours each, with full
force of men,