The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-03-04
The Southern Railway in North Caro-
lima.


pany. to The Railroad Commissioners OF
North Carolina, which you say bears the
impress Of sincerity and truthfulness
There is much IN this statement which
should interest the holders Of Southern
Railway securities; but the figures hat
are OF special interest to Richmond. are
as you say. those which show the result
OF the transfer of through business from
the route via West Point TO that via Nor
folk.
Tho gross earnings from through traf-
tie via the West Point line In 1885. and
via the Norfolk lire IN 1897, were as FOL
lows. assuming the local business the
same for both years:
Tho West Point line In 1895 .........Sloi7D
The Norfolk line I'm 1891 .............. l0l,5S-
Difference in favor Of West Points i5'o-2
As the gross earnings Of the line via
Norfolk are for that part Of IL which Is
in the State of North Carolina. in order
TO make a fair comparison. h. viii be
necessary 90 ascertain the relative length
Of the two lines bat Greensboro being
common point I'm both routes We have
only 90 consider the distance from
Greensboro 20 West Point. which IS Z-l
miles. and from Greensboro 90 the Nir-
g.nia State line. on the route TO Nor0.k,
which is about 230 miles, Il appears.
therefore. that the West Point line earn
ga more money per mile in 1895. than did
tine Norfolk line ln 1897. Notwithstanding
The supposed superiority of the Tidewater
terminus AZ Norfolk over that ar West
Point
There is another side to the account;
and the cost of operation must be consid-
cred. for the whole distance the traffic is
transported. From Greensboro 10 West
Point the distance Is. as above stated, ~
miles. while from Greensboro TO Norfolk
It is 25 niles. q difference Of S miles in
favor o. West Point as the shorter route
TO Tidewater
Here the question arises MS 10 what Is
the relative cost or transportation from
West Point. and from Norfolk TO Eastern
cities, 90 which il way be answered that
it is practically the same. and that the
cost of the addition IS miles OF transpor-
tati0n is probably borne by the Southern
Railway Company
4 large expenditure was no doubt neces-
sary to put the North Carolina railroad
east Of Greensboro. in proper condition
for the accommodation Of the through
traffic diverted from West Point to Nor
Ihs ~
ture made for terminal facilities at PM
ner's Point ON the Elizabeth river oppo-
site to Norfolk. The wisdom OF these exc
penditures may Doe doubted I'm view of the
outcome of the Norfolk line, and it is
question whether the cost of the new
shops at Spencer, n. c.. may not also Doe
properly chargeab,e tO the Norfolk lue.
the diversion OF traffic having made the
shops 40 Manchester. which formerly SUE
feed for the maintenance of rolling stock,
too remote from the line of heavy traffic
to De available for that purpose.
Merchants of Richmond will probably
derive some satisfaction from the exhibit
made by SIR Spencer. of the traffic over
the line between West Point and Greens
boro since the diversion of the through
traffic to- Norfolk for the S65S2n "of
gross earnings of the West Point and
Danyiiie nne' in 1,91 makes a very re-
spectacle showing for Richmond, as COM
pared with Sl.0,2 fi5 from "the Greens
b0r1 and Norfolk line for the same year,
including. as this last amount does. the
local business of the North Carolina rail-
road east Of Greensboro, as Wei as the
through traffic with Norfolk and Eastern
cities.
IL is Richmonds advantages as a dis
tributing point for Western products that
enables &c TO make SO good showing.
and the benefits derived from the Chesa-
peake and Ohio railroad are thus made
apparent
President Spencers statement of Che re-
suits Of the Southern railway passenger
business in North Carolina. seem 90 have
had no effect ON the Railroad Commis-
sioncrs of that State; and if this whole
argument against reduction or passcn-
ger rates is reproduced in The Times IL
is hardly 90 De wondered at; for large
increase 600 passenger train mileage does
not necessarily mean increased facilities
for local travel. and the decreased earn
ings per train mile We're the natural re-
suit OF an increase in train mileage, with
out a corresponding increase m travel
II is true that DE says that the actual
cost OF operating local trains is 6lGJ
cents per train milo. while the earnings
from the local trains were only IS cents
per train mile: but that may be because
more trains are run than are required %
properly accommodate the travel
IL may be interesting 90 holders Of
Southern Railway securities 20 know that
the companys gross earnings have de-
creased from about S-tO00o0 90 about SIS
10000: that it's net earnings applicable 20
paying dividend on preferred stock are
about $500 600 per annum that the gross
earnings per mile of its roads in North
Carolina. are only about S3l00. while its
other roads earn ON an average about
$500 per mile all of which facts may be
dcduced from President Spencers state
menO. and Will lead them % the conclu-
sion that they are better on without the
Atlantic and North Carolina railroad.
The reduction in rates for local passen-
gers IS a wrong that ought not 10 have
been committed. and it Is especially UNI
just 10 the Southern Railway Company
as nearly 500 Of the LOCO miles of railway
it operates in North Carolina. were con-
structcd 10y the Southern Railway Com
pany or its predecessors (the Z. and ID.
r. r. Co., and the r. and w. =. Terminal
Coz, with foreign capital and without
State aid. Nowhere else did the Terminal
Company spend money so lavishly In the
building Of local roads as In North Car
DINA. and these roads NOW operated by
the Southern Railway Company IN many
cases al a lOss). are important factors
In developing the resources Of the State
and 20 Cypress them must necessarily dis
courage similar investments.
Mr.. Spencer may have used this argu-
ment with the Commissioners but II he
did not, he neglected to use the strongest
argument ne could urg- against arbitrary
action on their part to the detriment Of
his companys interests In North Caro-
lima. T. NJ r. TALCOIT
Bon Air Va, Feb. p, 1898.