The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-28
OUR RAILROADS DEFENDED,
". \. JEEFEFDs. 6. E.REFLIEs To
COZ" YOREE,S CRITICISMS.

Poinrp OF Superiority -Df American Freight
Ears Ovcrlooked ~ the visiting British
Expert--Enormons waste In Handling
Tra0lc On British Roads.-Rates and
D., Expenses Here and IN England
NJ r. Jetferds, C. E., who has been we'll
ksapA Tor many yesrs in the Iailroad
world and Is now in New York in connection
NTH Russian railroad building interests,
has eent long letter to the Railway Re-
'tof,s Association OF England. dissecting
th1 recent report made 70 Pssliamept by
ca. n. 4. Yorke, who lately visited
tis United States for tho British Govern
nset to study railroad operation in this
country.
Col, Yerks's report hss been issled by
thu British Government In the form OF
Blue BOOK. A eapy WAS sent by tho
Rsilwsy Reform Association to Mr.. JET.
teSder who Introduced the first American
frsiEht cars INTO Great Britain As we'll A.
into VARIOUS countries Of tho Continent.
The Railway Reform Association, made
up largely Of agriculturists and merchants
and manufacturers who do not see any
good reason why they should have to pay
higher rates for freight travelling 200 miles
in Great Britain than for freight which
travels from Wisconsin TO London, has at
Ian got the shareholders Of the British
railways after their directors for the
Purpose OF finding out why the cost Of
freight carrying In England exceeds the
cog hero.
They were driven to this, Mr.. Jefferds
ssys, by annually decreasing earnings,
which have come to such a point owing
ia the cost Of operation in England that
some Of their freight cars cost more for
repairs than they earn. MIR. Jeherds says
that the companies cannot stand this longer
thsn two or three years more, and that
within the next four or five years the neces-
city the British companies will be under
on resorting to the American system Of
freight cars 10 going to result in bringing
great amount Of business to the United
States, becauee there are not enough manu-.
FEATURING plants in all England to reeq,hp
ths British roads in ten years.
Tic Contine ntal countries. taking their
pattern from England and her still Stephen
soaiap cars. or wagons, Mr.. Jef7erds says.
are ebout as slow as England in perceiving
the advantages of the American pattern.
The one exception is Italy, which has awsk-
~ned to the realization Of the greater eco
nenic utility of the American cars.
Mr.. Jeherdes communication. which
ill he published by the Railway Reform
a iettsr to j. Hafvey watson, honorary
secretary OF the Railway Reform Asso-
citation. Cine reason for going so carefully
into the rport. as Mr.. Jeffcrds tells Mr..
Watson, he found in the fact that it was made
ways OF the United Kingdom This shows,
he says. that the report means something.
and makes it open to criticism.
Mr.. Jefferds says that Col. Yorke has In
~ l.s%
anei irrelevant. except the one vitality aifect-
disability in rolling stock He continues
He evidently was imbued with the idea
that tho proportion Of dead weight to pay
ing load on American roads was the origin
Of tho economical measures in vogue there,
for he says;
American freight cars are all carried on
oeses. and a a rule there are eght wheels
on a saf iber f 'aPs Weight a[fs from ra0m
70 - scTs One Of the most popula. forms m
t$ q, - ~ II; 9
s. =. sAsis ar: a.; aas. re,
Of trenspoitssion is concerned' whether Inc
:!sS' SSsss 10 swc cars viii ioSr vi, xhss !:
re weight m entioned: I'VE cars are -mployed,
ten tons, and each having four wheels.
Not al the. oars In America offer such
The box cars have. as a rule. a carrying
capacity, Of % TO 40 tons and tare Of 10 TO 10
or The psyns load II tssss having
she case with. the 80 ton cars.
The four wheeled wagon will, therefore.
~ the country England, and economy Il
10 Be sought In improving the design OF such
wagons and increasing their carrying capacity
In relation to their fare. rather than In in
Producing wagons OF greater length.
After this quotation from Col. Yorke's
report, Mr.. Jefferds goes on to cay:
'That ie the most extraordinary state
ntent ever heard from so high an authority
II 10 equivalent to eaying that in handling
trafic there is no difference between fexi-
bihty and rigidity, or between live and
dead weight. II man falls down in a At