The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-02-09

commendable service in compiling sta
tistics regarding American railways
I'm 1906. At the outset this authority
points out that $1,000 miles of new
railway were built in 1906, orders
were placed during the year for 3,4Oo
passenger cars, $3.50 locomotives aud
10000 freight cars, representing an
expenditure of nearly three-quarters
of "a billion dollars. The record of
foreclosures and receiverships CONT
nues to show the encouragingly small
number of mortalities among railway
corporations which has characterized
the last four or five years.
THE statistics of block signaling
are interesting and encouraging,
though the totals are not as large
as many would like to see. They in
dicate that the larger systems appre-
ciate the importance of equipping
their lines with automatic block sig
nails. There has been an encouraging
growth and development in this direc-
ton, and the future is large with pro
mise that the railways Will install
the needed signal protection as fast
as their revenues will enable them to
incur the heavy expenditures which
Understanding equipment on large
scale entails.
THE total of 5000 miles Of railway
built (the largest record in eighteen
years) is not an adequate expression
of the real activity in new railway
construction. The extensive plans
which are maturing for increased mi
leage in the northwestern part OF the
United States and in Canada, where a
great deal of work has been done,
but on which little new road has been
completed, are not reelected in these
returns. Our construction statistics
take account only of completed track
and not of grading and other very i'm
portant and expensive construction
work As is to be expected, the new
mileage is greatest in the southwest,
west and northwest, and indicates the
degree to which industrial develop
ment is manifesting itself in the
great and growing west.
Perhaps the most interesting fig
ures presented are those bearing upon
freight-car equipment. The wide
spread interest and anxiety aroused
by the freight congestion and car
shortage have doubtless given to ma
ny people the impression that the
RAILWAYS have not put forth their best
efforts to provide themselves with ne
cessary equipment. AS matter OF
fact, the returns show that they have
done as much as, if not more than,
was reasonably to have been expect
ed,
During the year 1905 American
railways, including those OF Canada
and Mexico, placed orders for 341,3l;
freight cars. Out of this total %,
S39 cars were ordered from railway
shops in the United States; S,04S wert
ordered by Canadian railways o.
their own shops; 1926 were ordered
by Canadian railways from Canadian
builders; 326 were ordered by MeXi
can railways from builders in Mexico
These several items make a total o.
3S,439, which deducted from the CRANE
total of 341,315 leaves a balance o
1902, S76 cars, orders for which were
placed during 1905 with the contrac
shop of the United States.
1.-The total number of freight cari
ordered during 1906 was 31O,SO5. o
these 28,S1O were ordered from Anne
rican railway shops; 12,71S We're or
dered by Canadian railways from Ca
madam builders; 10,l4O were ordered
by Canadian railways from their owl
shops; while 271 We're ordered by
Mexican railways from Mexican rail
way shops. These items make u tota
of 81 1919, which deducted from tn
grand total for 1906, of 31O,SO5 leave
IA balance of 25S, 500 cars ordered dur
ing 1906 from the contract builder
of the United States. In this numbe
were 1855 cars ordered by MeNica
roads.
1T is somewhat difficult to get a
the exact capacity of the car-bullo
ing establishments of the country. Es
Inmates indicate that the present ca
pacity is about 100000 freight car
a year. During 1905 the contrac
shops had a capacity of about 175,OO
cars per year. Extended improve
ments recently completed or now III
der way indicate that the total caps
city available during 1907 will aPpro>
innate 100000 cars per year.
Orders now in hand will cngag
the capacity of the car-building estal
lishments until September l, 1907. l
other words two-thirds Of the capa
city for the ensuing year, or abou
100000 cars, is already taken up, Al
suming that at the beginning OF 49,
the car builders had the orders &c
1904 practically cleared up-that is
say, that they began even in l9O5-w
deduce the following:
Capacity of Plants. Cars,
1905. Observation-Disclosures I'o'o,
1906. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. |oO'O'
1907 (eight months) ......'.. l1o'o'
Total NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. ofo'o'
Orders Placed with Contract Shops
Cars
1905. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS uO~'o
ssa &c o o o . Q Q o