The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-02
LOCAL TRAFFIC FALLS OFF,
BUT THE MAGNATEs ARE HOPING
FOR SOME BETTER BUSINESS
LATER.
RATE OF Two- CENTS PER MILE
May Result In aoContinuance of De-
preston If 1t Is Insisted Upon
Generally.


at the end of the past month were in
worse condition than that indicated
during the spring and summer. Yet the
railroad managers all over the West
have expressed themselves as being
very thankful that the results Of the
years business have not brought more
disasters than they have. The pas
senger business of all the lines does
not compare with that of past years,
but even at that it is ahead of the
freight traffic. The business of the
railroads is now principally between
the largest cities Of the West and to
California. The regular winter excur-
sion business has fallen far below even
low water mark 1t is said that rs
per cent Of the gross earnings Of the
passenger business come from local
traffic, between cities forty, fifty to 100
miles distant, on which passengers pay
full local rates. The feeling among the
passenger agents is that business will
improve during the coming summer un-
less the legislatures in the Western
states interfere and demand uniform
2 cent a mile rate. Concerning this
matter the Chicago Inter Ocean says:
THE holiday travel this year was
of the year of 1885. A canvass of the
general passenger agents brings out the
TACT that there is a feeling that a bet
ter condition Of affairs is in store,
and that 1t will materialize the coming
spring or early in the summer, unless
legislative action this winter interferes
herewith That some action, however,
will be taken by the legislature, MAX
ing a two-cent passenger rate, seems
to be the general fear, not only in Illi-
nois, but in several other Western
states. The close Of the year has the
Northwest brought more closely in
touch with the South by the breaking
down Of the Ohio river barrier by the
Louisville & Nashville railroad and
establishing through service. from Chi
cago to Atlanta, Chattanooga, Birming-
ham, Montgomery, Pass Christian and
other Southeastern points.
Taking into consideration, however,
the increased mileage of the great sys-
TENS of the country, the year 1896 will
pass into history as one Of eXtraordi-
narily small railway earnings. For the
first six months Of the year there was
some encouragement, the aggregate
earnings being considerably larger
than for the same period in 1895, but
during the midsummer and the months
of the political campaign earnings gem.
orally decreased, and, although a little
later large grain crop began to move,
it was less than the previous wear,
and rate wars cut down earnings so
that the four months have continued
to show a falling off nwhen compared
even With the unsatisfactory results
Of last year. The railways have how
ever, held their expenditures well in
hand, and the net earnings have shown
up better than the gross.
TOTAL OF CONSTRUCTION.
'The total amount of railway con-
structlon during the year amounted to
only 1,602 miles. In several instances
Wher work was in progress it was
stopped, owing to failure to obtain
funds. In eleven states and territories
no tracks were laid. In the state of
Illinois only f1fty-eight and one-half
miles OF track were built. The states
Where the greatest amount Of cOnstruc-
ton was done were California, Louis
lana and Michigan. A curious coinci-
dence is that the mileage of new track
laid in 1895 is almost precisely the same
as that laid in 1895. At the close of
the year the present railway mileage
OF the United States is a little over
1sz,SOO miles. The most important rail-
way construction that has gone on in
the West during the year has been the
extension of the Kansas City. Pitts
burg & Gulf railroad which company in
extending its road and building con
of track
For the locomotive and car Builders
the past year has not been a very
fortunate one. The actual number of
engines built during the period was
I,l76, which exceeds by seventy-four
locomotives the output of 1895. and is
seventy-four more than the OUTPUT of
1894. All the roads, however. have
done a great deal in the way of re-
pudding. An interesting feature of
locomotive building in this country
during the year has been the growing
importance of export orders. Two
years ago the number of engines buil+
Tor export was only eighty. while in
the past year the number increased to
3O9. For the coming year none of
the big locomotive works have orders
Wh1ch cannot be disposed Of in a short
Tune and SO far there has been little
evidence to show that the railroads
are going to give out orders of any
Importance"
EFFORT TO MAINTAIN RATES.
Turning to traffic affairs, the Later
ocean says the year brings out pronli-
ntntly the commendable and conscient
1ous efforts Of the Eastern and Western
roads to maintain rates on a firm basis
The workings Of the Joint Traffic as
ISOLATION during the past twelve.
months have been watched with close
interest by all interested In such mat
tiers, and while 1t has in many instances
shown undesirable features and has
been admittedly supported at ire
mendous expense, it has succeeded in
keeping the Eastern field clear Of rate
cutting as regards both passenger and
freight traffic.
In the West up to the 1st Of Novem
Der, when the new Western freight
agreement was put into effect the CON
ditionS were chaotic. At the begin
ming Of November, however, an agree
ment put into effect by the Western
presidents brought that state Of affairs
to an abrupt end and for the past two
months the rate conditions existing
in the West haverbeen satisfactory.
Reviewing the Ilwork of the traffic
associations, both the Joint Traffic and
the Western Freight associations, one
of the board of managers of the latter
organization made the statement that
the year 1896 marked an important
departure in the handling of the traffic
affairs of American railroads. This
official has takenI prominent part in
the traffic affairs of the country for.
the past twenty wears and no one is
better able to express an opinion re-
garding association work than the man.
ager quoted. Asked to voice his OBJ
servation Of the past year as regards
the workings of the associations. he
said,
THE year 1896 marks an important
departure in the conduct Of the traffic
of American railroads. With it's adj
vent the Joint Traffic association be-
gan operations. 1t was a determined
off r,F n