The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-19

Inere are no such cases as j nave
clted9o said Mr.. Begg.
No, sir; = answered Mr.. Slade.
H. J. HORN ON THE STAND
General Manager of Northern Pacific
Testifies on Car Shortage.
III. j. Horn. general manager Of the
Northern Pacific, testified that his road
36,097 cars, and 1900 have been pur.
chased since. The road now has 1850
engines, an increase of seventy since
June 80, 1906. Taking the 1901 mum.
Der of cars as 100 per cent, the increase
in per cent each year has been as fol.
lows: 1902, l22 per cent; 1908, 1907
per cent; 1904, 1872 per cent; 1906
1919 per cent; 1906, 1853 per cent, and
per cent will lib Be gao. The Northern n Pa Pa
citie has 5000 cars on. foreign lines;
1890 foreign cars on Northern Pacific
tracks.
II thought we were having a lot
more trouble than other roads,, said
Mr.. Horn, until I attended a general
managers meeting in Chicago, and
when heard the others talking l
thought we were getting along pretty
"You were contented, then9" asked
Mr.. Marble.
mo, not contented,'' replied Mr.
Horn. / g.n a. E
Increase in Business
Taking 1901 business as 100 per cent,
been as follows: 1902, ia per cent mt;
1903, 156 per cent; 1904, 1877 per cent;
1905, 1855 per cent; 1906, PIG per cent.
Compared with 1905, this years. grain
business has increased 80 per cent; coal,
SO per cent in November, 35 per cent
in October; grain about the same.
:, I'VE had a number of conferences
to see where we could take a few cars
from some business in which they were
used and give them to the grain
trade went on Mr.. Horn, but every
time we had to give it up
no mHsys you ia. favored competitive
" No, sir; the truth is we have done
the. opposite, giving cars to non-com-
petitive points and not to competitive
points, hoping the other road would
take care Of the business. This has
been the case with points competitive
with the Canadian Pacific road.''
Mr.. Horn told of plans to place
eleven more miles Of track at Duluth;
greater facilities at Fargo, and other
points. II. I'd. ~. r.
~ am confident the crop next year
will be moved with much less trouble, -
said Mr.. Horn. In response to ques-
siderable more wheat is being handled
from more distant & points than pre-
viously. This is especially true of the
district west of Jamestown and Man
dan. . - " - < - -*'
During August said Mr.. Horn,
eve added 1900 cars to those already
waiting in North Dakota for wheat
movement, making about $500 to 1000
cars in all there on hand.'' . 49,
"During October was there conges-
ton, from Duluth to the Missouri
river?' ..-
Eyes, our terminals had 200 to ESQ
cars in waiting each day, due to made
quate terminal facilities to large ex-
:: ,ssDo you load your engines too heav-
"No,. sir. Take mountain grade,
where there is but the lift of the train
to overcome, we make tests on new
engines and decide what they can do.
The engines are thus rated on all they
can haul and make. fair speed. Good
mountain speed is eight miles an hour,
our average road speed is ten miles.
Engines are now averaging IS per cent
of their rated speed.'
Condition of Road. IL
"What has been the condition Of
your main line this fall between Fargo
and Staples?'' .--.:'-... - - :
"In October we handled 100000 net
tons per mile of track. AT the begin
ming Of the season it had seventeen
miles Of double track, I have applied
our system of analysis to like stretch
on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
road, where it is double tracked, and
find they only averaged 100000 tons a
ttDo you know of any single track
line with more density of traffic than
yours?'
II don't know Of any road running
out of Chicago, all double track roads
that has such a density as have spok.
en- of on our line from Fargo to Staples
which ] consider the throat Of ou1
system.'' Ea -
Mr.. Horn, then showed to the com
mission plans for improvements on the
line. These include, he explained, a
cut Of grades between Mandan and
the. twin cities, so that in no place
will there be over a 3 grade: 'IThis
Ethe hauling double the business east
with the same power as we are now
using. But to make this betterment
effective, we must enlarge our Duluth
terminals to take care Of the increased
traffic. .;.'% @G
Nj. Horn spoke in detail Of plans
for 700 miles Of new lines in the west
at an expense Of over 1000 900.
creased traficg5 asked Mr.. Lane. =
eyes, SIR ;s@
"Well, then, won't this longest still
tuFths1 next years traffic in the Da
Walked Init Trap.
Mr.. Horn had walked into trap
and after a second IS hesitation practi
cally admitted the point by saving:
Zone Of our great troubles IS to try
to fit up the whole railroad at once tC
meet the new conditions
+ On questions by Mr.. Bum and tt
controvert testimony given yesterday
by Mr.. Phelan, Mr.. Horn stated tha'
money expended for maintenance q
equipment (repairs) had increased from
$2,232,40 in 1901 to 1894, 100 in 1906
WHICH is an increase Of 100000 owe,
1905. He told Of the heavy repair ex
pense shouldered on the company +
the accumulation Of old cars Of foreigII
companies. A large per cent Of the re
pair work is on foreign cars. He sail
that the amount Of supplies all along
the line, for repairs, has been very
greatly increased the past two years.
Wages on the Northern Pacific.
III" Do you think you pay high enough
for labor? asked Mr.. Harlan.
HOur wages are as high as paid b,
other roads, and in some cases higher. :
he renlied nThere has been No. hasi