Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-16
SOUTHERN RAILWAY
PRESIDENT FINLEY'S LETTER TO
THOSE SERVED BY IT.

Mr.. w. W. Finley, president of the
Southern Railway Company, has made
public letter to those served by his
road setting forth some of the conditions
which confront the road and the pur
poses and policy of it's management.
He says: The management would not
ignore the fact that at present railroad
service generally, including that of the
Southern, is far from satisfactory If
there was no adequate and justifying
cause for this, these conditions would be
objectionable, but the fact is they spring
largely from causes which cannot for the
moment be controlled
Extraordinary Development.
He refers to the extraordinary indus
trial development of the south, and
quotes from the late President Spencer
showing that the total value of her man.
ufactures now aggregates nearly $780,
100000 and the value of her agricul-
tural products Is now over 81 zoo, 100000
Nowhere in the United States" says
Mr.. Finley, except in the two states of
the extreme northwest, Washington and
oregon, has there been such Industrial
development as in the south.
1t Is perhaps not too much to claim
that, outside of the energies and efforts
of the people themselves, this company
has been one of the chief factors in
this development Manifectly the vast
increase of traffic incident to this COM
mercial awakening requires enormous in
creaseS in transportation facilities The
management OF the southern Railway
Company has not been unmindful of this
fact, and did not wait for the coming
of the development itself before attempt
ing to increase to stne utmost possible
extent its transporta ton capacity
He refers to the policy of the management
M hot nd hon ,i,,ey
that it has spent or contracted to spend to
prepare to handle the traffic, 500, 49,. $40.
and that it has greatly increased its roll
ing stock. saying that "a fair consideration
of these figures will demonstrate the fact
that the engagement of this company has
not been unmindful of its obligation TO in
crease its facilities in anticipation of the
increase in traffic.
Two Conditions Hamper.
He says, however, that the company has
been, and still is, hampered, however, by
two conditions: One is the large amount of
fresh capital required; and, the other the
difficulty of securing adequate and efficient
labor. of promptly getting it's construction
work done, and of obtaining the rolling
stock, rail and other material essential to
improved facilities"
He gives instances, both the failure to de-
liver rolling stock contracted for and of the
failure to complete track work within the
time set.
Mr. Finley says:
AS bearing upon the capacity of the
railroad companies to obtain the means to
make necessary additions to their facilities
and to provide the most approved safety
appliances In operation, the public should
give fair business consideration to the stu
alton which confronts the carriers.
1.-THE present situation is:
AN immense increase in all expenses,
without any increase In rates-in fact, with
the proposition almost universally made to
decrease picla tive
He then gives some figures to the in
crease of material and equipment as we'll
as cost of labor, increase of taxes and eX-
cessve verdicts of juries in personal in
jury cases, and concludes as follows:
Conclusion.
with these greatly increased expenses
for material, for labor, for taxes, for pen
alties and for damage claims, and with
the just demands of the public for better
facilities and greater safety of operation,
it must be apparent that a reduction of
revenues must conflict with the public in
terest in these larger questions of better
facilities and greater safety.
Il submit these facts to the candid con-
sideration of those people who in per-
feet good faith, desire a reduction of our
freight rates and passenger fares. The
public should be advised that, with de-
creased revenues, the railroads of the
country will be utterly unable to pursue
successfully their efforts to provide better
facilities and greater safety of transporta-
ton.
The point is near where it may be alb
solutely necessary for the public to take
the choice between better and safer facili-
ties, on the one hand, and lower rates On
the other. In the nature of things, 1t is
impossible 10 provide both
In view of the difficulty of meeting the
just demands of the public for larger facili-
ties and greater safety, with reduced reve-
nues and increased expenses, L feel that 1
am justified in laying before our patrons
and the public this plain statement of con-
ditions.''