The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-02
Alive to n. Opportunities.

The New York Commercial Advertiser
publishes the annual statement of the Chi
cago, indianapolis & Louisville road for the
year ending June 80, and comments on 1T
favorably at considerable length, among
other things saying: "A paragraph in the
report shows a realizing sense Of the condi-
tons and the necessities of modern freight
transportation. The. reduction of grades
between State Line and Monon.' 1t is said.
have been completed, and as a result of
this. and the purchase of heavier equipment,
we have been able to increase the tonnage
per train from 23O tons in 1898 to 26S tons
the present year. an increase OF II per cent.
over 1898 and % per cent. over 1897. The
average tonnage per loaded car was 14.9l,
against 14.4S the previous year. The gross
freight earnings have increased $94.057, and
the train mileage has decreased about 10 per
ton in various operating accounts in con-
Quoting transportation That Is to say, the
final cause Of expenditures. large or small.
for the reduction of grades and the purchase
of heavier rolling stock Is to increase train
loads. because heavier train loads. whether
secured through the better loading of cars
or the hauling of more cars per train, mean
a reduction OF train mileage and that means
a saving of money. The Monon furnishes
an excellent object lesson in all of these
questions of transportation economy. To go
one step further than the paragraph just
quoted. the company's earnings per ton per
mile show the almost universal fall. In 1896
the road secured ton mile revenue of 81
mills. A drop occurred in 1897 and another
one in 1898, and the amount is now down to
al mills per ton per mile-a loss Of l mill in
three years And yet with an increase IN
the train load from 27 tons i'm 1896 to 26S tons
In MI lsss, the earnings Of each T. run one
ger train mile earnings likewise have In
creased Apparently the operating depart
ment is quite alive to its opportunities"
Propose to the the Work.
The latest report shows that there are 13s
railroad branches OF the Young Mems
Christian Association, with a paying men,
bership of over $1,000. Thirty of the assoc
Citations were organized in the last three
years; now a movement is on foot to better
systematic the work. The railroads pay
about 90 per cent, Of the expense of these
associations. The financial aid given these
associations by railroad corporations is very
generally regarded by officials as a legiti-
mate item of operating expenses. and d.
rectly in the line of economical administra-
ton of the operating department. The prop
erty is intrusted to the association for man
gemen because experience has demon
strated that better results. for the railroad
company are thus secured. Railroads are
now asking the International committee 10
i tirs 1insa a the d sNhm,, points s5o on their EN-
where these associations can be successfully
maintained. George b. Roberts, in recon-
LhthbLihS a SCCOiu NOfDOsdlC APPROPRIATION VI
$40 900 toward a building at West Philadel-
phia: IF you vote this money for this pur-
pose 1t means more 10 the Pennsylvania
kahroad than the same amount would. IL
invested In steel rails" NJ. L. ingalls,:
II have never yet found any organization
that combined so well the interest of rail-
way men and the owners as this has done.
" The flavor of Christianity about Ii Is
the one thing that keeps 1T up. IL is the
thing that keeps men interested in IL, and
makes the majority of them enthusiastic
about it Interstate-commerce Commits
sion, 1892 report. Page 6S: Another agreea-
bic showing Is that Of the Young Mems
Christian Association in connection with the
railway service, a work commencing itself,
even upon the most practical grounds of
oecuniary self-interest.'
During the depression in railroad business
me number and amount OF these appropria-
tions have steadily increased. and In not a
single case have they been discontinued dur
ing the past three years. even In cases
where contributing roads have been I'm
charge OF receivers.