Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-28
RAILROAD AFFAIRS
Business Principles Prevail on the
Baltimore and Ohio.
MOVEMENTS OF THE SOUTHERN
General Cutting Down Of Passes
for Employees.
SOME TRAFFIC VOTES

SOME TRAFFIC NOTES
"Never in the history Of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Company have its at
fairs been conducted on such strict bust
ness basis as now" said one of It's highest
officials to a Star reporter yesterday; land
the public can depend upon It," he contin-
ued. that eventually the road will pay
dollar for dollar of it's obligations.
THE receivers could, had they so desired
1t, avoided paying much that they have ar
ranged to meet under the issue of the
So,UOOO0 of receivers certificates, and the
receivers were asked in court why they had
rot excluded from their schedule of debts
"n1ch they want to pay at once or in the
near future those of over six months
standing, as Is usually the case when a
road goes into the hands of receivers, and
their answer was that they did not wish to
take advantage of any legal technicalities.
SINCE Receivers Cowen and Murray have
taken charge of Baltimore and Ohio affairs
tney nave laid down rule to hold the head
of each department responsible for results.
and the effect has been remarkable In the
matter OF the rolling stock, the number of
cars on sadings and in shops has been re-
duced 80 per cent in the last few weeks, and
today every car and locomotive owned bv
the road that can be moved Is being oper-
ated to Its full earning capacity.
No one truth has been more fully DEM
onstrated recently in regard to the Balti-
more and Ohio than that 1t is great and
valuable property. with a capacity, all
things considered, of earning the money
that Will in time put it on.a dividend-pay-
ing basis. and those security holders who
retain their investments in the stock and
those bankers who have come to the aid of
TIE company In its present dilemma, will
have no cause to regret such action
Inc same official, when asked II 1t was
propaDie mat the report Of Expert Ac-
countant Little. who has for some time
past been engaged in making an examina-
ton OF the books Of the Baltimore and
Ohio. will be pade public when completed,
would. -
The receivers of the Baltimore and Ohio
nave arranged through some of the various
New York banking houses. that have re-
cehtly become interested in the road, to pay
on June l the interest on $7744OOO < per
cent bonds due 1897 on the Chicago division
amounting to S1B,GDO; also on SS.5O9.0OO ter
nnnal Az per cent bonds. amounting to
slsl.2 30: also on H,.G0.OOO per cent bonds
OF the Schuylkill River and East Side rail-
ROAD: The interest will not be paid on
S3poo g per cent bonds of the Baltimore.
Washington and Alexandria branch of the
washington and Point Lookout railroad on
the ground 1t Is saiA that the road has not
earned its fixed charges
improvements to BE Made
1t is understood that work will be begun
early next month to straighten the famous
seven curves on the main line of the B.
and o. at Patterson's creek, W. Va. a
short distance below Cumberland, Md The
cost OF the improvement Is estimated at
$I5.Do but when completed will remove
one of the worst elements incident to the
causing of freight wrecks to be found in
the entire system The receivers have de-
termined to make the following expendi-
lures On the main line and It's principal
branches during the next few months: For
new steel rails. $475.OOO: renewals of
bridges. 5000; tunnels and masonry S75
600. The contract for furnishing the new
steel rails for the entire route between
Washington and Baltimore has been award
ed to the Jersey City Continuous Rail
Company. concern which has succeeded
In bringing out a rail whose joints will
be so placed when laid as 10 make what
will practically be solid rail between the
two cities and do away with all the dis
comfort which arises from rapid travelling
when the train is passing over the ends
OF rails which are more or less separated.
Cutting Of Passes.
1t Is understood that the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company has issued an order in
relation to passes for its employees, which
will affect quite number Of persons in
this city living at various points on the
line Of the road, and many thousands of
clerks and other subordinates throughout
the system.
1t has been the custom Of the company
for many years past to fssIe quarterly
passes to many Of its employees who live
along the line Of the road and who travel
In going to and from work. IN Philadel
phia, where the general offices are located,
there are about 1000 clerks and others
who live on the Pennsylvania lines within
fifteen or twenty miles of Philadelphia. and
who have been travelling on passes. So
numerous have these become that there are
enough of them to fill several trains each
morning and evening, and The company
has issued circular stating the above
facts and directing that no more Of these
quarterly passes be issued to employees af
ter June 30, when the present quarter ex-
pres. The circular states that in place
of the passes the company is willing to sell
to It's employees monthly ticket, good for
sixty single trips or thirty round trips
within g. month. for s. month-ten cents
day. the amount of a street car fare.
TtSse tickets will be good for any distance
not exceeding thirty-five miles. A two
months ticket will be sold for So.
Southern Railroad.
The Southern Railway Company has de-
termined to abandon West Point, Va, as
the terminus for the railway running to
that point, which is also the stopping place
for the York river line of steamers out of
trains will connect at Norfolk. West Point
will not. it is said. be entirely abandoned by
the steamship line. but 1t will become a
point for local traffic only
There is every prospect that this and
some other moves made recently by the
Southern Railway Company will cause
lively war between the Baltimore, Chesa-
peake and Richmond Steamboat Company
and the Baltimore Steam Packet Company,
better known as the Old Bay Line, and that
the Southern railway and Seaboard Air
Line railroad will become more or less in
volved.
Some time ago the Southern railway.
which works in harmony with the Balti-
more, Chesapeake and Richmond Steamboat
Company, announced that 1t proposed to
establish new line Of steamers between
baltimore and Norfolk and Portsmouth,
Va This line would cover exactly the same
route as Is now served by the Baltimore
Steam Packet Company
The Bay Line people. working in conjunc-
ton with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
Company, soon found a way Of retaliating
for what they considered an inuasIor, az