The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-27
MR.. Governs Big BLUFF
Facts and Figures That Reveal Its
True Character.
HI. Statement That a Contract for
COCO Steel Cars Would Be Cancel
the b. * o. Delayed if Bryan
Were Elected shown to lie Bosh.

BALTIMORE, Oct 27.-The threat ut
| tered by President John X Cowen, CT
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, at Mu-
sic Hall Thursday night before an audi
enee almost wholly composed CT en-
ploy..s of his company and allied inter-
ests, that IF Mr.. Bryan was elected the
order fo- 5000 steel ears would be can
celed and important improvements pro-
jected delayed was received with sur
prise ard establishment in business cir
cIes yesterday.
Was this order genuine one or a
straw obligation made to furnish the eli
max for a political incident such as the
threat at Music Hall?
When the order was placed il was an
nounced with all the earmarks of gem
uine transaction. This announcement was
made by President Cowen himself. at
Pittsburg on September Is in speech Mr..
Cowen said that his company had award
ed a contract for 5000 cars, and said:
-Four thousand of these cars are for the
Pittsburg trade and this is but the half
way house for a larger and greater or
der"
This contract amounted to $500 90,
and railroads do not incur such an OBJ
legation for sentiment. II is not denied
that Mr.. CoWen and his associates knew.
when the contract was made, that ma
tional election was pending 1t is said
they also knew the needs of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company.
If the cars were needed when the con-
tract was drawn, it is pointed out, they
VIII AN af a ga
ordered Will be used fer coal transpor-
tation.
If there is no need for the cars be-
yond furnishing the setting for political
Incident" said a Baltimore and Ohio
stockholder yesterday. what do the
stockholders of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad think about such business pol
icy?"
But there is need for these cars Mr..
Cowen has shown in his Pittsburg speech,
quoted above, that this order lis just q
beginning" He has consistently and en-
phatically urged ever since his appoint
ment as receiver of the Baltimore and
Ohio and since his subsequent elevation to
the presidency that the great and crying
need of the property was cars and locomo-
tives.
Every large interest in the property
knows how strongly Mr.. Cowen feels on
this subject. He has repeatedly pointed
out how the company was losing reTsnue
by its inability to haul the freight offered
it because of the lack of cars. In public
and in private his Views have been free
Iy expressed. Here is what he SAID On
the subject at that same Pittsburg din
ner referred TO above:i
Il explained to the New York bankers
that the $200, coo, coo Investment in the
Baltimore and Ohio properties had only a
Inn va Inc vi nv
ment."
Mr.. Cowen did not add to his Music
Hall threat that the Mount Glare shops,
Camden and Mount Royal Stations. the
Central Building. the $500, 600 coal dock
just completed, the miles of track, sta
lions and shops throughout the system
would be sent TO the junk pile if Mr. Bry-
an was elected.
But. to quote Mr. Cowen again This
time he was talking about rumors relative
to the Baltimore and Ohio. and said:
The best thing that could happen to
the Baltimore and Ohio would be for it to
get more locomotives and cars. Gossip
doesn't carry freight. II is necessary to
attend to business and saw wood"
This may supply a cue to Mr.. Governs
Music Hall remarks, it is suggested, re-
membeTing that the eloquent railroad
president was away from his wood pile
and couldn't resist the temptation to
gossip AS there are usually many solid
ideas IN Mr.. Governs remarks when he
sticks to his own woodpile and talks bust
ness, another quotation may be of inter-
est.
He said:
The Baltimore and Ohio has suffered
for the want of cars and is still losing
business on this account Opposition to
the Baltimore and Ohio getting additional
equipment has been costly to the proper
~. What does the millions of dollars
locked up in the read and its operated
lines amount to without the yitaIizing eff
feet of rolling stock?
Tracks terminals, and the ether ex-
pensive accomplishments are fit only for
the junk pile If equipment is lacking to
develop their fullest usefulness. Any in
tere5t in the property which stands in the
way OF securing this needed equipment is
pursuing a course unsound In the finance
OF railroads and hurtfui to their own in
terests."
II the words of President Cowen are in
sufficient to show the needs of his compa-
ny for more cars some further evidence on
this subject might be found in the annual
reports OF the company. Here Is the way
that the number OF tons carried by the
railroad has grown: