The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-10-19
THE FACTS IN THE CASE
RUSH OF CEREALS TO TEXAS MIL.
LING POINTS UNPRECEDENTED.
Eastern and Western Roads Have Placed
Orders for 1000 Engines
Congestion Is Universal.

All Of the railway officials Of Texas lines
say thHt new era In railroading has be.
gun, an area Of prosperity, Of hustle and
puete ana confusion, because the companies
nave not anticipated such phenomenal In
crease IN traffic, both freight and passeu
ger ana arr consequently short OF coulp.
ment Al Indications tend to prove that
the enormous traffic of the present Will
r'cuf each year. ANA the managers OK the
various roads aver that they VIII be In
reau'neSs next season TO handle the crop
movement with facility.
The figures ON the freight trafac OF the
past two months are astonishing. TO say
the least The tonnage for the month rf
August was II per cent greater than that
90 August year ago. aud the tonnage Of
September was % per cent greater thun
'hat OF September year previous. The
IHNh of the cereals tn Galveston aud to the
lcAAs milling pblnts Is something IN.
pIecedehtcd IA the history of the Statp
IN 9 nutshell this explains why the rail.
Iodds motive power Is Inadequate 10 meet
l9e needS of the season In explanation II
should be stated that while the motive
power is sufficient for all needs durtus MIN,
months Of the wear II is now entirely made.
Qu0te, through no fault of the railroads as
nc managers state II, because none OF the
INES could nor con they now contract for
new motive power. receiving the loromo-
yves on their own rails within \ period Of
from SIX TO twelve months. and al this time
lhe locomotive works IN the United States
t ,i,l uot guarantee the delivery Of new mo
i've power until after September 1908
tNtetul inquiry Of all the leading Texas
roaIS SHOW thnt they have orders placed
Win tue various locomotive works through.
hnnr Iue country aggregating 2I5 in nun
per- but less thnn 10 per cent Of this total
number can be delivered within the next
ninety days. In addition. there has been
paced with the principal cur works
InIHugnout the country orders for freight
equlpiheht Of all classes aggregatng 500
cars IN round numbers. but not more than
q per cent of the order can be delivered
aurlhS the next four months, and this viii
pc OF very little assistance, II any, to re.
hGNe the congestion of the Texas lines
IN fairness IL should be explained that
TINS freight congestion is not local AZ
IHir, nut that II extends everywhere, from
ports sN'
with ample equipment and motive power
lhlS avalanche Of freight would be an un
quahned blessing to the roads and to the
puDhe, nut having been caught and cor
uered through no fault Of their own the
railway managers have exerted all their
ingenuity and applied all their approprla.
ions ana resources in an effort To avert
serious congestion and TO save TO them.
selves aud their patrons all tho proht that
could be derived from such a situation
under more favorable conditions
4. me result of Inquiry develops the fact
mat the Eastern aud Western roads have
paced orders for nearly 1000 locomotives
any one that has fair idea of transporfn-
ton and railroad afairs will appreciate the
meaning Of this-70cQ locomotives mpera-
lively demanded aud none available. All
the car works of the United States have
booked orders that will keep them busy
until December, 1908, before any new orders
can be taken.
The most remarkable fact is that the
roads, especially the Texas lines. have
handled this excessive increase in tonnage
WIN the same equipment and motive mower
tlat moved last years crop and the crop Of
Two years ago. Today the managers have
gwen orders to crowd the engines 10 the
utmost and exhaust every expedlent 10
facilitate the movement of freight and to
Keep out OF the way OF passenger trains
hehet Is now in sight. Within the next
thirty days the bulk Of the cotton crop viii
nave been moved to market, and the heavy
shipments of wheat will be almost com
pleted. The forwarding of wheat through
Galveston, however, viii continue for sew.
eral months, but It will not come with sucb
q rush after November 10.