Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-15
OUR EXPORTS OF ENGINES.

lmnenoO Trade WOrko0 Up WIN
Foreign Countries I'm This Line.
Washington. May 1.-THE fact that
more than $4,000, 900 worth of American
railway engines have been exported In
the nine months ending with March.
1900, as compared with less than 81. O00.-
600 worth in the corresponding months
ending with March, 1894, and $4,000. 600
worth in the corresponding months Of
1895. lends especial interest to the fol-
lowing statement from a report by the
British agent and consul general in:
Egypt. which has just been received by
the treasury bureau of statistics. The.
report says:
Large additions were made in the
! rollins stock liz the course Of the last.
year. Most Of the new stock added III,
however, to replace old stock which has
been condemned. may mention that
four trial heavy engines--exceeding In
power the largest locomotives in use on
the English railways--were ordered last
year, twofrom Glasgow and two from
America.
THE following extract front the report
of Capt. tombstone. the acting president
OF the railway administration. ! think,
OF sufficient general interest to justify
my quoting 1t in full:
THE number Of breakdowns in our
stocks has been very considerable, all
tho happily they have not led to any
considerable accidents. This is partly
due to the changes in the workshops
(now nearly completely and to the
heavy traffic. having necessitated the
postponement of repairs. and partly to
some OF the stock supplied to US having
been OF inferior quality. Now that the
greater part OF the new workshops are
completed. repairs are being pushed on,
while the list of firms allowed TO ten-
der for stock is carefully revised. and
the names of firms who have supplied
material are being
struck off. l am glad to say that the
only locomotives recently supplied by
an English firm-Messrs. Nelson. Reid
g. Co, OF Glasgow--fave not given the
slightest trouble. Those purchased from
| America in 1898 have also done we'll.
but as thsy differ in many respects
from our standard types, our own men
have taken some time to learn their Pc
l.culiarities, and we have not been able
| to get the best results out of them. The
faction OF the board in ordering locomo-
itives and wagons (cars) from America
| has been criticised. 1t is due partly to
this fact: that American firms, while
! they are not In q position to tender on
more favorable terms than others on
our designs. almost invariably offer us
engines or wagons built to standard de-
signs OF their own at lower prices and
In less time. While English and other
European makers content themselves
with rendering on our designs, being az
| a rule not in the habit of manufacture
ling to standard designs of their own.
We much prefer adhering toHour own
standards, but In cases where time and
Iicost are of great Importance. such an
Offer from America can not be passed
by. On the other hand, the long time
required at present by component En-
1 glish firms TO execute such orders Il
prohibitive, and the only order placed
for locomotives this year, besides the
trial orders referred to elsewhere, went
ito a Belgian firm, who offered delivery
on three and one-half months less time
than any English Arm. and who have
l done work for US In previous years.
.Of the Assuanr railway. Capt
4 tombstone writes:
Three new locomotives have ar
/ rived and been taken into use--not be-
fore they we're badly wanted. Thirty
/ wagons and three more locomotives are
4 on the way. These have all been ordered
4 from America. as they were urgently
needed and early delivery could not bt
I; obtained elsewhere.