The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-18
Chicago Tribune
Editorial Quoted
by J. J. HILL|...,..
LARGEST e CENT CIRCULATION
IN THE WORLD. ,..
SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 10, 1906.
RAILWAY 1xrANs1oN VFcsssARY.

SsAeAO"0A d<A1S4NSAVN NGC8SAAkY.
The congestion Of traflc which has ex.
Ated Tor weeks, and which 10 conatant!y
growing worse. has demonstrated that the
business Of the country il fast outgrow.
ing it, railroads. In ftp cartier STAGES the
congestion was attributed solely to q
shottags Of freight carr. A time has
p1Seet It has become clear this IL not III
qpnH GAUGE. The traffic offered has q.
fatne1 such magnitude that railway oper-
atinE officials now declare that II they
had carr enough to transport It they
would not have enough motive power to
pyA the cars, and that Il they had enough
cars and motive power they would lack
tracRags to move them over. Shippers
and railroads by better cooperation, could
relisVs The situation. but they could pot
cure: It. -.. -. g.
Statistics given IN tho reports Of the
Interstate commerce commission throw
almost startling light on Tho Develop
rnents which havs led up to present; con.
ditions. From June>so. 1896, to Juns 80.
1905. tho railway mileage Of the country
Increased from 1so.065 to 21e,974, OF 20
per cent; the. plumber Of cars from 1895.
los to 1912, 871, or 45 per cent; and the
number Of engines from $3.50 to 1887.
or 81 per cent. During the same pesied
the ton mileage Of freight tranac IN.
creased from S9,587,770,801 to 1s6,4es,.
10a610. or over 40 per cent; and the
passenger mileage {rassengsrs carried one
sn1ls) from 12.642,20z,651 to 2s,eo0,149,:
486. or 81 per cent, Ths average power
Of engines and capacity or freight cars
Wasr meantime, augmented, but not
enongh materially % reduce the crest DIS.
proportion between the growth Of trans.
portafion facilities md Of the quantity OF
commodities and number Of persons to b.
transported which 10 Indicated. By the
foregoing figures. - ,!
Tho, enormous gFJwth. Of &teafio during
4hs last ten years has, Of course. been
due to ths eouutry's prosperity. Droueht9::
which should cause crop failures, panic
which should shut down the factories,
would speedily reduce tie demands upon
the railroads, but all the Indications now
point TO : continuance Of prosperous con.
dittons. and to a rapidly accelerattne IN.
crease % passengers and goods 10 b
transported. The. deficiency OF railway,
sadntiss has not Jet brought disaster, bit
every year the delays caused by It cost
shippers much money, ard should ths; diaa.
proportion between the growth of trafac
offered and Of the facilities for moving.
4 continue much longer the most serious
tesuln might snsue.
All signs point TO- lhe need o. q new
era q railway building on I grand scale..
The large bond issues some roida are.
making and the big surpluses. others arp,
piltng up indicate that railway chiefs are
preparing Tor Il. Whether there are to-.
be created any entirely new systems only
time can tell. but It Is plain there must
% unprecedented expenditures Tor exteu..
sions, double tracking. and other improves,
nebts By existing systems. The. tate Ed
ward Atkinson estimated railway con.
etraction in the. United States must aver.
2ss 10000. miles annually FOR the. NEXT
fifteen years. There is danger connected
with the rapid conversion Of big amounts
nf. circulating into fixed capital, but an
Increasingly rapid expansion Of transpor.
tatiou facilities 10 essential Il the conn.
tryss indnstiel and commercial growth -
not 70 be- hanpered seriously.