Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-30
RAILROAD MATTERS.
j. w. Midgley. OF per Diem Fame. Aims
to Abolish Private Car Lines.


j. w. Midgley. Of per Diem Fame. Aims
to Abolish Private Car Lines.
Encouraged by the success of the cam
paign he made in support of the substi-
tuition of the per diem for the mileage
system of freight car rental. and which
led to its adoption, J. w. Midgey, who has
thus become an active instead of a passive
advocate OF certain reforms in railroad
operation that must he acknowledged as
worthy of comnendation has turned his
attention to the abolition of private car
lines.
It Is not a new question with him. but
he believes he has discovered why previous
efforts In this direction have been fail
ureS.
LITTLE BETTER THAN LEECHES.
While his action will be earnestly COM
batcd by strong individual interests in
volved in these lines, If he can attain his
object this time, he will have done good
thing for the railroads, for in various
ways and one in particular they are moth
ing better than lecches.
1t Is no hidden facts that the railroads
annually pay to these lines enormous
sums for milegae that ought to remain
in the Golfers of the railroads. and to
those familiar with these private car com
paniee 1t needs no stretch of the ina gina
ton to understand why the railroads have
not applied themselves more "ealously to
the task of getting rid Of the ,ncumbrance
and the obligations that are exactcd.
II has been repeatedly the case that
large sums have been paid to private car
lines when the equipment of the compan-
les were practically idle and not earning
a dollar.
AN INDEPENDENT BUREAU.
Mr.. Midglcy's plan is to take the entire
department out of the hands of the ind-
vidual roads and officials in any way sub
iect to the influence of shippers and own
ers of private car lines. and establish a
Joint agency for the conduct of the bust
ness. this agency to- he accountable to all
.he railroads of the country instead of
individual lines.
To carry out such q plan II will be nee
"SS1rN TO have the assent of all roads, and
while 1t is believed the time is ripe for
the purpose, it is this fact that will prove
the greatest stumbling block. and where
the biggest fight will eimade.
The reasons are not necessary to enufn-
crate just at this time as they are well
understood by railroad managers them
selves. but II may be possible on future
| occasion to bring them into publicity In
order that the public may know how there
are sometimes wheels within wheels In
railroad matters which are not supposed
to have light shed upon them. and that
are carefully kept from revolving in a
| way that would show either their pur-
pose or results.
DISCUSSED IN DETROIT.
This matter was to be agitated at the
meeting of the American Railway associa-
| ton in Detroit this week. but whether il
| was and whether it was given DEFINITE
| form and direction has not been disclosed
In view of the character of this or
| ranization and its work. added to wha
it has done for standard time, per diem
| charges, etc. it will be readily appreci
ated that if induced to take hold of thi;
| question. it will grapple with it in a man
ner that ultimately will witness the con
| summation of the object sought, though
| like other reforms which passed through
| great contention before being adopted. y
may take considerable time to reach tina
| desired end.
NEW YORK CENTRAL INCOME
The income account of the New Yorl
| Central and Hudson River Railroad com
| pany for the past year showed a surplus
| of sS,3l611S or the equivalent of 63 pc
| cent on the stock. The company own
very nearly the entire capital stock of tn
| Lake Shore and Michigan Southern rail
way, and included in the years income
were dividends at the rate of Z per cen
on it, The real earnings of that compan.
We're however largely In excess OF tn
dividends paid The surplus shown in thu
| income account was more than double
the dividends paid, and In addition tn
| operating expenses We're charged will
3,5>9. 00 for new equipment. 1t appears
therefore. that the New York Central
equity in the Lake Shore earnings wa
| about $500 OOo in cXcess of the dividend
received. This would bring the earning
the stock The company has interests il
other railways, such as the Michigan Cen
trai. Lake Erie and Western, Chesapeak
and Ohio and Chicago Cincinnati. CleVe
land and st. Louis. all of which earne
far in excess of the dividends paid to III
| Central. The estimate allows nothing 70
this fact, and in addition the operatlp
expenses We're charged pretty literally 70
maintenance. The charges for mainten
anCe OF way and structure were Yer
nearly s2,G@ per mile of single track. al
though this applied to double, and i
some parts Of the road to four tracks
The CHARGES for maintenance of locomo
tives AVERAGED 55A cents per mile rur
and to freight cars 4l6 mills per car mil,
THESE are all liberal, but it will be safe
to take them rs necessary.
The charges shown by the income ao
count were as follows:
Increase in gross earnings. .... $3.50, Z
Increase in maintenance charges. 2.2l9G
Increase in transportation OK
penses e.. e.. .................. 2.056 Is
Increase in net earnings .......... 2!t5 As
Increase in income from securi-
ties owned. ... ............ 3457
Increase in gross income ........,. 6il q
Increase in interest and rentals. Sol
Increase in taxes ..... ............. 3S} D.
Decrease In interest on loans, etc. 40 Q,
Tncrease in all charges .......... 366 g
Increase in net income ,........... 27t5;
It will he observed that nearly all tn
gain in the gross earnings was absorbe
, by operating expenses. but II should b
noted that more than one-half of the If
creose was in maintenance charges, TIL
comparatively large increase in transpoi
tatiOn expenses was due to the high6
cost of wages and to the expenses inc
dental to the heavier passenger traffic
which came largely from the fair Z
Buffalo. The decrease i'm interest and rel
tai charges although small is worthy
note, and in this connection it may /
stated that only small charge was mad
20 the cost of road and equipment TT
total was s7l4.27 and represented ne
side track, yard and terminal faciliti'
and new equipment The principal charg'
being the Weehakwen terminals and Il
new additional equipment
The feature in the gross was the sma
increase in the earnings from freight I'll
tons carried, in fact. show a decreas
due to tho falling off of l,6S 1876 tons
the total grain carried. and @i260 tons
. anthracite coal. The gain in other dire
lions brought the not loss In tons carrie
, down to S31,137 tons. and the increase
! the earnings was due to the better ella
,, of freight carried. The percentages give