Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-30
RATES WERE MAINTAINED.
Railroads Stuck to Agreements in 1902
. and Reaped a Harvest.

4 Chicago, Dec. 3O.-The tremendous
developments of the country in popula
tion, agriculture. and other industrie!
has brought it's minimum traffic up Il
a point where the railroad facilities O.
i the United States are adequate only FOL
it's average traffic. At the present time
4 the transportation facilities of ths
/ country are inadequate for the volume
of business they are called on to move
4 and with all the additions that can BIZ
4 made to existing facilities they viii
1 prove inadequate for at least year te
i come.
The business of the carriers for the
year 1903 is in sight and assured, and a
/ repetition of the crops of 1902 would
continue the present prosperous condi-
ton of the railways until late in 1904
A money panic in Wall street could not
seriously affect the exports of this
country. Such panic would be more
! likely to lower the prices of comnlodi :
! ties and thereby cause an increase of
export traffic. A money panic in Wall
street might temporarily discourage do
nestle industrial activity, but could not
seriously derange present legitimate
business conditions for a long time to
come. 1t is believed by many promi-
nent railroad officials that Wall street
| troubles will eliminate soon, but its
effect, if it comes, has already been dis
counted by the agricultural, mining and
industrial interests of the country,
which are the real foundations for the
country's prosperity.
Fully realizing these conditions the
railroad companies are going ahead
with vast improvements on tracks,
terminals and equipment, and their or
Gers for rails, cars, and locomotives now
show that the manufacturers of these
articles will have as busy a. year as in
any past year.
Probably never before has a more
general feeling of confidence prevailed
among any class of railroad officials re-
garding the outlook for traffic than is
felt among the western contingent at
the present time regarding the outlook
for 1903. A canvass of the leading Off
Gals of the principal western roads
failed to find single one who was not
of the opinion that the volume of traffic
and earnings on the roads during 1903
would be far in excess of the figures for
the year now closing.
The scheme of J. p. Morgan, E. E.
Hartman, j. J. Hill and few other
financial giants to consolidate the vari-
Gus railroads in this country into about
half q dozen gigantic systems, to be
controlled by a few individuals whose
common interests impei them to act in
concert, has made little progress during
1902. The suit instituted by the federal
government against J. j. Hills North
ern Securities Company gave the
scheme a serious setback. The carry |
ing out of the plan will depend on the
outcome of the trial of that case now
in progress. IT the securities company
is declared Illegal further consultations
of large railroad systems are not likely /
to be attempted, and some of the big
already formed are likely
to be sundered. Should the case be de- /
cided In favor of the Northern Securi-
ties Company, however, nothing canI
prevent the carrying out of Mr. Nor +
gan's original consolidation plan, and T
the end OF 1909 will find nearly all the /