The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-12-03

CnGU
 Referring to the embargo which has been placed by the Pennsylvania rail- road on freight traffic for points in New England via Harlem River, an official of the New Haven road said yesterday:
 "A good many patrons of the New Haven road apparently do not under stand the reason for the embargo, and they seem to think it is owing to un- necessary economy or possible inefti- ciency on the part of the New Haven road. This is not true. The present conditions have been brought about primarily by the fact that the manu- lecturers on the line of the road were very bare of raw material. owing to the unsettled condition of business brought about by the fact that 1t was presi- dentiai year. and that the prices of pig iron and iron commodities generally have been steadily going down for some time.
 There was a general feeling of pes- simism among manufacturers until about September 1, when they began to get orders very freely from the west and south, it being then evidently set tied in the minds of most of their cus- toners that the cotton and grain crops would be above normal, especially as to value, and that the election would not change in any material way the busi- ness conditions of the country.
 This rather sudden demand for man ufactured goods brought with it like sudden demand for raw material on the part of the manufacturers, which, of course, included coal, coke, pig iron and all kinds of iron generally. There is also very large demand for grain, hay, feed, flour, lumber and heavy freight.
 The result of this general resumption of prosperity in business has thrown an unusually large amount of freight on the railroads to handle quickly, and they were asked to handle a very large quantity of raw material during Octo- Der and November which should have been distributed in ordinary times dur ing the summer months The railroads generally showed very serious falling off in freight earnings all through the spring and summer. It was particular ly noticeable during July, when the freight earnings on the New Haven road fell off to an alarming degree and many trains were being moved with only a few cars, and 1t became neces- sary at that time to materially reduce the freight train service in order to keep a reasonable comparison with the decrease in earnings, and a good many surplus men which it was found neces- sary to dispense with at that time found other employment, such as in the sub way in New York and with the electric roads. With the resumption of heavy traffic it was found impossible to get these old men back, and a good many new men who were not as experienced were employed, and it takes some little time to get them familiar with the work.
 The New Haven road, however, is handling considerably more business than it did one year ago, or even two boom periods It is sending east bound from Harlem River about one hundred loaded cars more per day than during the same period year ago, which means that the four tracks from New Rochelle to New Haven are being taxed to the utmost. The records show an average of one thousand loaded freight cars per day east-bound from the Har- lem River yards. This shows that a ,,a,,y r., ,r,e frY,e, {, , ,ret ting their freight without any serious detention. There are, however. num- Der of patrons who will want some par ticular cars and the general offices get a great many requests for special shift ing out of cars which are wanted, and in attempting to do this for the patrons 1t delays the general movement, so that it would be very much better if ship- pers and consignees would let the freight take its regular course, as in the end they would be gathers. The road is handling east bound over the High land division from Campbell Hall and Fishkill approximately four hundred cars per day, which is very heavy for a single-track road with such heavry grades.
 It is human nature for the majority of people to look at the small troubles and enlarge upon them, rather than make allowances for the fact that the matter of a general resumption of pros. perity is source of congratulation and that incident to It due allowance should be made for the fact that it is impossible in any line of business to handle 1t as promptly and as satisfac. torily when overtaxed as when 1t is running normally A little patience on the part of the shipping public will hell l the road materially in relieving the sit.
 uation, and will put the traffic In such
 shape that 1t will be comparatively
 short time before the embargoes are re. | moved.
 More patrons than one would imag.
 inc have been in the habit of buying only when forced to do so, and f1gurins that the freight would come through
 from the west as promptly as during 1 the summer months, and when the bus mess was not very large; but if the,
 will make allowances for the fact thai
 their goods will not come through a. rapidly during the winter months, ant
 when there is such a large volume 0,
 business to move, it will undoubtedly save them large amount of annoyance
 and trouble if they will anticipate theil
 wants little more in advance" I ----------------- Little Clara-"M Mother. tell me a fairy