The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-03-25

II ia estimated by the Railway Age,
avs Robert p. Porter in the New York
prrss, that 800 railway companies in
for,y.slx states and Territories have
NOW under construction or proposed
MORO than 1880 miles OF road upon
which some work viii be done. Thus
~ have an ununiStalIable sign OF the
r.iurn OF prosperity. A few weeks be.
joye election the enterprislng Tines
Herald OF Chicago printed an elaborate
article, showing how much money
SNalted AfcKinley'H election for Invest
ment. II ran up Into hundred million
ar more dollars, II 20 per cent, of this
II 800 projected railway mileage Is built
ia 1891, at q cost Of $50 900 mile, II VIII
exceed 500. 1000, while the total would
mean an expenditure OF more thnh
600 OO0, OOO-from so to 30 per cent OF II
hbor. The expenditure OF this money
would give employment to several hun.
Srrd thousand men. The railways OF
iris country need this work done and
need Il badly. Once give them chance
(, see where they can get the money to
nay for tlfSe improvements and extern
SISns and undoubtedly they Will be
made, An increase of business by rea.
son OF the opening OF mills and rae
tories and q prospect OF enforcing sche-
Iule rates by making freedom OF con-
sufficient 10 start up the principal rail-.
WAYS OF the country, and thlhEs would
sum again. r
Looking over the report just pub.
l,sbeL by John X, COWen. president OF
the baltimore and Ohio Railroad. was
struck with what this one read had &C.
,,onpllghed during the phenomenally
6Ed year OF 1885. Though IN the hands
~ a receiver. the published report says
they have spent in the year ended on
Fbruary almost s, 00O,O 900 for iocomo-
dives, passenger and freight equipment,
extraordinary repairs TO equipment and
sxpepdkures made by the engineering
Jnartment Ia the way OF improvements
~ the maintenance OF way, structures.
terminals and the construction OF new
sllTnments and miscellaneous improve.
msnts They spent $500. 900 on seventy
dye new locomotives and 5000 new
fyelrht cars, and the extraordinary re-
naIrs to locomotives, passenger equip
meui and freight equipment aggregate
NslS,OO0. The total expenditure In the
motive department was within q few
Thousands Of 5000, 900. Talking to the
nresdent OF another road. he frankly
several millions in the same way, but
mad to abandon Il for lack Of funds. The
Iosa Of tonnage and low rates simply
made II impossible to do anything.
Thinking over this question OF expen-
di,ure for beetefment8 on our railways,
took abOut nifty of our leading rail.
way companies, and found their total
gross earnings 10 be $S25, 0o0, 900. The
baltimore and Ohio spent last year an
amount equivalent to more than one
quarter OF its Brosg earnings IN nc
manner described. Had other roads
done the same It would have meant The
disbursement OF more than 500 OK, 900,
nasty IN wages to labor. What the
baltimore and Ohio felt compelled TO do
other railroads would like 70 do Il they
ooud raise the money. That II, II there
vas n little moro stability in our bust
ness and capital felt the policy OF the
government was to be conservative
one, not only to our manutacturnG IN
terests by the cincinnati OF \ judlctous
tariff. 70 our foreign commerce oy the
fXtOnsion OF reciprocity, to our mef-
chant marine by . law TO revive Il. but
10 our railways by extending the pres
ent Interstate, commerce law As SuB-
reSted by General Lloyd Bryce In the
current issue Of the North American
Review.
On this subject Mr.. Bryce said: "A
Inv which permits Of an agreement for
the purpose OF maintaining falE ana
reasonable prices and Of paying hVing
wage cannot be contrary to public
policy. In fact, the measure should be
20 framed as to protect the public and
the shipper against high rates and ena-
bic the railway companies to get the
schedule rate 70 all Our railways are
entitled to a net earning that VIII put
them on solvent basis, open up the
workshop and give employment !" a
larger number OF men" The tact Is.
prosperfty IN all branches from national
tranaactIonS Is within our grasp u We
reach out and take It. A few courage
Gus laws and then period OF peace
from legislation and the Republic VIII
be itself again.