The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-12
THE CAUSE OF RAILROAD
WRECKS.

There has been not a little discus
| sion as TO the cause of the increase
| i'm railroad accidents. Perhaps the chlel
reason is that the business has out
grown and capacity, and additional
tracks and equipment have not been
provided to keep pace with the growth
of business. Some railroads nave not
provided the additional equipment,
trying to do the enlarged business
without outlay, converting the money
that should have been spent to handle
the business into dividends on watered
stock. other railroads have been ur-
able to obtain the material and make
the necessary improvements because
increase of business has come in so
short a time.
The New York Times gives addi-
tional reasons as follows:
During the past year permanent
way and rolling stock have been per-
mitted to run down in consequence
of reduced earnings and high wages
There has been a disposition to neg
lect requirements and betterments as
long as possible. for the reason that
until within the past month or two
tanned prices of many classes of ma
terials far above their value. meas
ured by the cost of similar materials
made under less advantageous condi-
tons abroad, and by the prices at
which our manufacturers have been
very glad to accept orders from for
eign buyers. Some are still so held.
Artificially high domestic prices are
the direct and foreordained result OF
the protective tariff. To large con-
sumers like the railroads they are
very burdensome-for example, S26
per ton for rails which we have the
authority of the most expert steel
manager in the United States. Mr..
Charles M. Schwab. for saying cost
less than So to make. Boards Of
directors of railroads who have felt 1t
a duty to lower freight rates as much
as possible. especially on ores. fuels.
and the products of furnaces and
mills, to help them tide over the dull
period, have resented the obvious m
Justice of paying prices so unreason-
able for the iron and steel they con-
sumo Hence requirements and re-
pairs have as much as possible heen
neglected and the roads are now IN
poor condition to face the operating
difficulties of the imminent winter.
The railroads suffer from trust
rrices. and if the great
roads were not owned by the very men
who organize and control the
trusts. the most vigorous fighters
of protection and trusts would be the
owners of railroads. At it is. the trust
magnates owning both. the public
must suffer because steel rails. which
cost $12, are sold to American rail-
roads for $26 and sold abroad at
a much larger price. The railroad
managers, wishing to make a fine
showing. postpone large expenditures
as long as possible. and thereby en-
danger the lives of railroad employees
and passengers.
The excessive price which the Ding
lev bill permits the steel trust to
charge for steel rails not only causes
railroads to delay necessary additions,
but greatly retards the extension OF
new railroads and street cars. Il
costs $12, according to Mr.. SchWab
TO make steel rails. 1t would be
very good profit if steel rails were
difference of Sc in a ton means the
difference between extension OF street
car system and new railroads and
standing still in construction.
There is a real demand and neces-
sity for an extension of the street car
system in Raleigh. 1t would greatly
aid in the development of the city
and ultimately pay the street car
company we'll. One reason for he
delay in making this extension is the
very heavy cost of rails. The man.
agement has been hoping that the
trust price would not continue and
that the price would be lowered
Some still think that the present ar
tificial price. imposing an unjust bur-
den upon home railroads and street
car companies, cannot long continue,
i'm view of the fact that rails are sold
to parties abroad at a much lower
price than they are sold to American
railroads and street car companies.