The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-02
NEWMAN TALKS OF IMPROVEMENTS Says S7OODOOO Will be Spent
 in Birmingham BOARD OF EXPERTS FORMED
  Head of Newman Lines Talks of Ex- penditures to Be Made on the Street Railway System
 of Birmingham.

New Orleans, February 1.-(special)- The Times Democrat says:
 Further concentration of the respective street car systems of several southern cities has been effected by Isidore New man & Sons of New Orleans by the crea- ton of a board of experts, which board will take over the work of directing the operating of several lines.
 The president of the board of experts will be J. K. Newman, formerly president of the New Orleans and Carrolton Rail- road company, and a son of Isidore New man.
 Other members of the board, well known in New Orleans, are: o. II. Ford. gen eral manager of the New Orleans and Carrolton Railroad company before it's absorption by the New Orleans Railways company, and Bacon.
 The street railway systems involved are those of Birmingham, Knoxville Nash vile and Little Rock
 At the organization meeting in Nash vile last Friday 1t was voted to expend $700,OO0 to improve the street car lines in Birmingham.
 Isdore Newman, head of the extensive Newman properties, in discussing the new plan of operating the Newman lines, said:
 "The business has grown to such an ex- tent, and the work has become so labor ious, that we have for some time felt the need of assistance and the board of experts has been created to meet this need. The gentlemen composing it, some of whom are former employees of the New Orleans and Carrollton Street Rail- way company, are men of recognized abil- fly and experience in street railway work, and are thoroughly qualified, We believe, 10 handle any problem which shall pre- sent itself. They will improve the lines under their control whenever possible, and will also pay particular attention to the effecting of greater economies in operation; this, however, without impair ing the service, which we have always constantly sought to improve. In addition this board will attend to the purchase of machinery. etc, for all of the lines. We long ago learned that by this plan Of making purchases in sufficiently quan- titles to supply all of the lines. there is q very material saving in the price paid. All the problems of operation and management will be submitted to this board by the respective managers for final solution. Our New Orleans properties are not concerned in this arrangement. The prei3 dispatch sent out yesterday concerning the meeting is to a certain ex- tent misleading. as they made if appear that separate company was organized. This Is not the case. The status of the various properties remains as before, and the board of experts formed will merely assist in the proper managclr ent an1 m- proVement of the liHes. l have not as yet received detailed report of the meeting. so can not. give the entire personnel of the new board, However ]. K. Newman
 is president, and Messrs. Ford and Davis among the members.
 Mir. Newman confirmed the report that his company would expend during the coming year $7O0,OOO in extending and inn proving the property of the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company. We feel" he said that the rapid growth of Birmingham, and the flourish ing business conditions there both demand and justify the outlay of this sum, and
 1t has always been our policy to improve and extend our system as rapidly as the growth of our business and the prosperity of the respective cities in which they are located will permit. Improvements will probably be made in all of our rail- way lines during the year, but the Br- mingham company is the only one for which we have as yet announced defin-
 te appropriation.
 The headquarters of the board of ex- perts will be In New York.