Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1907-04-25

400, 900 600 pounds, making 1925 car
loads, OF 20 tons per car, of material
which is hauled by some road, and the
finished product represents 1O,816 ears
and locomotives that are hauled to the
points of delivery.
Besides, we have ordered within the
same period go, 1000 tons of steel rail,
which means 1,5OO cars of 40 tons capa-
city, which, combined with %locomlo-
tives and cars, makes a tonnage from
these items of about %, 900 cars.
This does not include material re-
ceived for repairing equipment in use,
and other material and supplies of va
rious kinds which is probably greater
in the aggregate than the figures given
above.
The coal consumed as fuel by the At
lantic Coast Line Railroad Company
amounts to about 1900 cars, loo, 900
pounds capacity, per month, Or 49,
900 cars in the period of two and half
years referred to above. All of this
coal is hauled by roads reaching the
coal fields, and after delivery to US
must be hauled various distances, some
of it as great as 500 miles, in order to
reach the point of consumption.
A railroad has but one source Of
revenue-that which it derives from
the sale of transportation. 1t. like 9TH
ers, must pay he increased price OF
material and labor, and it is not only
refused the privilege of increasing it's
charges for transportation under such
conditions, but laws ha We recently been
passed, and are being proposed for
passage, that materially reduce its
charges, and at the same time penalty
laws have been enacted to absorb the
we are permitted to collect.
Is it fair to say to a; railroads: You
modify of transportation; and for this
you must move it a certain distance
within q fixed period, regardless of
conditions, or pay a heavy penalty, in
addition to actual damages the owner
may have sustained?
Thus you will see the candle is burn
ing at both ends, and unless corrected,
the result is certainly apparent to you
all.
The public is demanding increased
ment, improved stations and more of
them, and the railroads have been, and
are earnestly trying, to. provide for all
these, and as a matter of interest to
you, I will quote statistics showing the
action of the Atlantic Coast Line'Rail-
road Company in this direction:
During the past three and a hal
years it has purchased new equipment
(all of which has not been received,
out is contracted for delivery during
his Year, to the value of SIS, s05 ,479. SO,
and has spent in additions and better
ments, for yards, terminals, new sta
tons, heavier rail, signal towers and
plants, double tracking, etc., $780,
759.4S, (which amount does not include
two million dollars additional author
lied, but not expended up to the pre-
sen time, owing to scarcity of material
and inability to secure efficient labor.)
To bring it a little closer home, I
would state that of these amounts there
has been spent in and for the benefit Of
the properties in North Carolina, for
betterments and equipment, over five
million dollars, and of the uneXpended
balance, $3.50, 600. 90 is to be expended
in this State: This, remember, is in
addition to the increased cost of opera
ton.
On July 1st, 1902, the road owned 49,
1877 freight cars, of all classes;on March
1st, 1907, 20, 774, n contracts have
been made for delivery this yea of s.
269, making a total of 26,O43, or prac-
tically 100 per CEN increase. Locomo-
tives owned on July LIST, 1902, 435; on
March 1st, 1907, 6O6; contracted for de-
livery during this year, 80; total, 686;
an increase of nearly so per cent, in
number of engines, representing all in
crease in tractive power of over 100
per cent.
AS illustrating the increase in cost OF
material, etc., would state that about
three ear G fiat cars cost 1915 to
$500, now they cost from $3.50 to $500;
box cars from $500 to $3.50, now cost
5000 to 81 900; passenger coaches cost
from 81 200 to 81, 900, now cost $1,000;
locomotives tnat cost from SO, 900 to
$40, 900, now cost from $J3, 500 to $14,-
500. Every item we buy has increased
within the same period from at least Is
to 40 per CEN Our p~ay-rolls, repre-
senting wages paid employees, in
creased in December 1906, over De
cember 1905, 1927, 5o1.2e, or 1912 pc,
cent.
The AGITATION and advarSa 1apiS1atior