The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-30
RATES VERSUS EXPENSES.
PRESIDENT EGAN ON THE IN
CREASED COST OF OPERATION.

CH1ASGD JUST OE OPERATlON.
He Gives Figures to Show the Adj
vance in Prices of Nearly All Lines
of Railway MateriaIs-In Addition
to This the Long Period of Wet
Weather Has Put the Railroads to
Extra Expense And Yet Some
shippers Demand Lower Rates.
The Roads, MIR. rcgan Says, Must
Either Have More business or
Higher Rates.
President Egan of the Central of Geor-
gia Railway has been looking over the
figures of the cost of operation for the first
six months of the year and he is not al
together pleased with the showing made
While the Central has been doing a good
business during the year aud its monthly
statements show increased receipts over
previous years the increased cost of al
most everything In the line of materials
and supplies needed in conducting rail-
road has been SO great that the net re-
suits are not as satisfactory as they
might be.
The increased cost of materials and
supplies was bad enough" said President
Egan to a Morning News reporter. who
found him engaged in these figures yes
terday, but in addition to this the excess
i've rainfalls of the last three months have
caused an increase in the expense of op-
Grating railways which exceeds that of
previous years The tracks require ex-
traordinary care and attention during
such a period as this. which, of course,
means extra expenditure"
'How about the crops? You will feel
the effect of the rains there also, will you
not?" the president was asked
The injury 10 crops cannot now be es-
minated, replied Mr.. Egan. but with
favorable weather in the future the re-
suits may not be as disastrous as the
present outlook would indicate, and the
damage may be reduced to a minimum.
In railway circles these conditions cause
many anxious moments. coupled with thu
fact that there is continual effort on
the part of some shippers to obtain low
er rates of transportation. An examina
ton of abe records proves that the ten
dency of transportati ton rates for several
years past has been downward, notwith-
standing the increase in the cost of ma
teral that is used daily in constructine,
OiShntiASs ASPdAlh aug maintaining IdlA-
ways" asKs
President Egan thinks il exceedingly
unreasonable on the part of the patrons
OF the railways. to seek for lower rates
when the conditions are such that the
railroads are under greater expense than
at any time for several years. There
should be limit in all things, he thinks,
even In the reduction of railroad rates.
As an illustra ton of the increased cost
of lines of luz dnripo
1900 he furnished the following compari-
son of figures, showing the increased per-
centage of cost of materials during this
period over the same period during 1897
Rope. manila. 1870; bolts, machine q by
10 example). $50; bolts, carriage az by 3
example), IA; spikes track, 135; aXles,
STEEL, 1871; oils, engine ubricating, 1871;
coke, l2S; steel, spring, 125; oils. car, lubri-
eating. 100; tin. block IFS; chain. wrought,
brake, 112; nails, 1C9; bunting. 100; solder,
100; iron, bar, IS; rails, steel. 81; flues, |
boiler, 81; dus ers, feather, 50; springs, |
car. SO; brooms straw, 80; angle bars, !
track fastenings, 81; brass, engine, 70;
switch frogs 20; turpentine, 70; shovels, |
20; lanterns, hand, SO; bolts, track, 81;
lumber. 81; plush. 81; oil. linseed, paint.
&c; brass, car journal. 65; wheels, steel
tired, g. tin. sheet, 81; castings. grey
iron co; oils, head light, ILL, IS; rive $,
boiler, IS; switches, 81 steel tool, 50; cop
per. 4s; iron and steel sheet, IS; holsters
1 beam structural steel, Az lead, pig, Az
coal steam, "A; switch stands, AZ; coup
lers, automatic car, 81; castings, mall
iron, 80; brake shoes, 80, coal, blacksmith
%; COAL Anthracite &c; oils, mineral seal
ILL.,. %; anthony, 25; paint. building and
freight car %; gasolene. 25 tires coach
wheel, "a; oils, valve lubrica ting "a; tires,
locomotive driving wheel, %; buckets. gal
vanized iron, water, 81; crossties 20; oils
eigral, H., IS; cement, Portland, Is;
brushes, paint. II; wheels, cast iron, 5
'One familiar with raiiroading." said
Mr.. Egan, "can easily see that our gross |
earnings should be largely increased in |
order to meet the increased operating ex-
penses that necessarily fellow the ncreas- |
ed cost of labor aud material as shown |
above, and this can only be obtained by |
increase of business or increase in rates"
Mr.. Cecil Gabbett, vice president. and |
Messrs. W. w. Mackal and W. w. Will |
IA mson, directors, are in New York In at !
tendance upon the meeting of the board |
of directors of the Seaboard Air Line. |
The principal meeting was held yesterday, |
but it is possible that the affairs of the |
system will hold the directors in New
York day or two longer.