The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-10-21

the Chamberlain Hotel
Hampton, Va, October 19-The del
egates to the American Association of
Passenger Ticket Agents spent today
on sight seeing trip over Hampton
Roads, visiting very point Of inter-
est, with an oyster roast at Cape
Henry
A telegram was received from Sec
retary of the Navy Paul Morton this
morning announcing that he would
be unable to come to Old Point to
address the association tonight.
At the morning session. which was
held on board the steamer. the con-
vention voted to meet in the City OF
Mexico next year. the date to be fixed
by a committee later. Officers for
the ensuing year were elected as fol-
lows:
President-F. E. Boothby. general
passenger agent, MaineCentral.
First Vice President-O. J. Smith.
general passenger agent. Lake Shore.
Secretary-C. NJ. Burt, general pas
senger agent. Central of New Jersey.
General Fitzhugh Lee. Governor
Montague and other distinguished
Virginians were guests OF honor at
the banquet given at the Chamber
lain hotel by the Passenger Agents
tonight. The principal address was
delivered by 5. II. Hardwick. general
passenger agent of the Southern rail-
way.
S. H Hardwick. passenger traffic
manager Of the Southern railway,
spoke on '"The Evolution and Com
positiveness of the General Passenger
Agent"
Mr.. Hardwick traced the varying
functions and titles Of the passenger
department, during the past half GEN.
tury.
To illustrate the responsibility and
the work of the general passenger
agent, Mr.. Hardwick cited advance
information from the report of the
Interstate commerce commission for
the past fiscal year. This showed
revenues earned from passenger and
mail express and other sources ac-
credited to passenger revenue. amount
five hundred and eleven million. five
hundred and sixty seven thousand
dollars Revenue earned from
freight and other sources accredited
to freight earnings. amount one bill
lion, three hundred and forty-two
million, four hundred and eighty
seven thousand dollars. Continuing,
Mr.. Hardwick said:
''Now taking the valuation of the
investment in equipment as employed
in passenger train service and freight
train service, respectively, including
in this the value Of engines and cars
Of all kinds whatsoever. for both de-
partments, we find that. on such es>.
innate as is furnished me by one or
the most expert railway accountants
in this country on this basis Of valua-
ton a total investment in equipment
alone. the relative percentages of re-
turns are for passenger, gross, ninety
and twenty-eight one hundredths
cents and for freight eighty-nine and
ninety-three one hundredths cents,
showing a fraction greater in the gross
from passenger than from freight. and
while the gross totals of earnings from
pdSSSHScT HiuC1
than from freight so also the amount
invested in the equipment for hand
ling the total traffic is very much
smaller for passenger than for freight.
May we not. therefore. with all
modesty, claim these results as some
thing Of answer to the deprecatory
allusion which we some times hear
concerning the passenger department.
which allusions we know are often
made in spirit of rail1ery and good
humor. but sometimes made through
lack OF information and understand
ing"
Mr.. Hardwick cited several Of the
many examples of those who have
advanced from the passenger depart
ment to the highest positions IN the
railway service. Among these he
mentioned Paul Morton, secretary of
the navy, recently vice president OF
the Santa Fe system. Lucius Tuttle
president of the Boston and Maine
and the Maine Central railroads, w
W. Finley, second vice president OF
the Southern railway; w. H. Newman
president of the New York Central;
oscar Murray. president Of the Bal
timore and Ohio and B. L. Winchell
president of the Rock Island system
Concluding Mr.. Hardwick said:
Ours Is indeed a great work and
we are charged with great RESPONSE
biiities. having many anxieties and
perplexities. The Importance of this
work is hardly over estimated. when
we consider that for the fiscal year
referred to. in the United States alone
there were transported by the rail-
| ways a total of nearly six hundred
| and ninety-fve million passengers, al
increase OF forty-five million passen.
gers as compared with the preceding
year, showing in this way an avera &c
number of more than eight Journey:
+, a year for each of the eighty million: