Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-11
THE SOUTHERN RATE WAR.
Meeting Of the Freight Association to
COnaider Inianction Proceedings.

Meeting OF the Frefght Association In
COnsfder Injunction Proceedings.
call has been issued for q meeting of
the Southern States Freight Association a,
| Asheville. N. c.. Thursday next to consider
questions relative to the Injunction pro-
ceedings which are to come up before Judge
Simonton In the case OF the Seaboard Air
Line agt. the Southern States Freight AS
ISOLATION Saturday. A preliminary meeting.
at which the presidents and general man.
ayers Of the lines interested were present.
was held In New York Monday, but the de-
tails Of the meeting were withheld from the
public. Well-informed railroad men are al
most unanimously of the opinion that some
very undesirable complications will arise,
no matter whether Judge S,monton con-
tinues or dissolves the temporary injunc-
ton. II he dissolves It, which the asso-
ciated lines do not want him to do accord
Ing to the current report, they will be in the
position which confronted them before they
declared for the eighty per cent cut. They
Will have to compromise or put in force the
big cut. with the alternative Of admitting
that they were blufflng before. II the in
Junction Is made permanent, the Seaboard
VIII, 1t Is stated, carry the case to the
Supreme Court OF the United States.
The Re-EQuipment OF the n. and ID.
1t is said that the Southern Railway
Company. as will be mentioned in the COM
ing annual report. upon taking posses
sion OF the line of the old Richmond and
Danville system about two years ago. was
hsrded over 100000 in cash from the
reorganization committee for improve
ments ana additions. the REORGANIZATION
plan providing also for the issue each wear
OF certain amount Of bonds for new
construction.
In the minds of many interested per-
sors, according to the report these
seemed TO De extremely generous terms.
but 1t has been found that much of the
track was In very poor condition. and since
me new company assumed possession its
officers have been busy carrying out inn
provements to roadbed and track, shops
and terminal facilities and adding to the
equipment. During the first fiscal year
the company spent nearly ss5O,OO0 on new
equipment and new construction, and for
the year just ended, which is the second
III the company's history. the amount has
peen much larger. about 100000 having
oeen spent In building steel bridges alone
Among the improvements In nrocress
are the construction of extensive Terminal
FACULTIES at Portsmouth, Va; new passing
slo;ngs are being added all over the line
ana , Dailast trains are at work upon every
division Over 10000 tons of steel rails
have been purchased There were also
purchased ffty-fve locomotives since the
present company took possession
me new shops which are being built
CO. e. oS aan N. C., at an expense OF over
s-.U' are nearly ready for use, and
VII ne put In service early next month.
All the shops are working to their fuii
capacity overhauling engines and putting
, wu ar brakes and automatic couplers,
WINE the work in the maintenance of wav
department has amounted to a practical
rebuilding of almost the entire line
sarehs tnehing 1t at every point. The new
cars ana engines are of large size and
eapacily ana give the company a mod
ments." 40 require