The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-01-15
FACTS AND FIGURES
PRESENTED BY HILL
President of the Great Northern Saws
Lack of Trackage Is Responsible
for Existing Situation.
outlay of 81 100 900 Year for Five Years REQUIRED to
Handle Present Business of the Country.

6. paul. Mimi. Jan. 14-Governor
,.t,,.ton today received a long letter from
uW president Of the Great Northern
psgroad company. in which the magnate
ds.ls exhausiively with the various
,hsses Of the railroad problem.
NJ HiT sets out at length with what,
g, his opnion, is responsible for the exist
INC situation. and what should be done to
-enedv Il. The western country has
s-ovn 50 fast that the railroads have been
Unable 10 keep pace with it. Mr.. Hill says.
and he believes the building Of additional
trackage IS the best solution Of the prob
lem
He SAYS II will require a permanent in
,sstruent OF Si.1O0 100000 a year for five
Years 10 provide the railroads of the
countrv with means TO handle properly
the business already I'm sight, and not al
lowing for future growth.
Mr.. HIS letter follows, in part:
Great Increase in Business.
During recent years the volume of
business has increased and is increasing
with extraordinary rapidity. while the
necessary additional traCkage and ter
ninais nave not been equal 20 the de-
msnds upon them. The resulting situa-
ton is a freight blockade Of enormous
proportions. especially at all terminal
points How to remedy This is a problem
financial. mechanical and physical. No
time should be lost i'm applying such
measures Of remedy as may be possible.
The following figures. compiled from
the official reports Of the interstate COM
merce commission and covering the
growth Of the railroad business for the
iast ten years. exhibit the significant
facts:
Gives the Figures.
For year 1895. total single track mile
age lS0.657 in 1905. 2lS.l0l; increase. q per,
cent
locomotives i'm 1885. IS. $50: in 1905. as
ST.. increase. Is per cent.
Passenger cars I'm 1895. 33.li2: IN 1905,
4ai3; increase - per cent.
Freight cars in 1855. 1.l9sll9: i'm 1905.
lI2l 100: increase. A. per cent
Passenger mileage I'm 1895, 12.1Ss. GAG. 271;
in 1915. q. .435: increase. % per cent.
Freight ton mileage in 1895 50, 227. 5l5
S2l: IN 1905, 1856 463. 109,5l0; increase, us per
cent
Real Cause of Delay.
These figures show the cause OF delay
in the national traffic movement which
threatens 10 bring industry 20 a standstill
Equipment is being increased as rapidly
as capital and labor can do IT, There are
and will DO cars enough TO carry the coun-
trys traffic II the cars can be moved.
but engines and cars must have tracks on
which they may run
The limit OF service Of common car
rier has been reached when it has moving
az All times over its system as many cars
as can be run on its tracks with safety
and transferred and dispatched from it's
terminals and Junction points without I'M
reasonable delay. Beyond that point in
crease Of business cannot be handled by
increasing cars ard engines.
Problem Presented.
The disparity between the growth OF
traffic and the additions to railroad mile
sge and the extension Of terminals. shown
by new mileage Of less than IL per cent
year since 1904 then take care OF a traf-
nc increase averaging II per cent a year
lot Ten years past. presents and explains
ne real problem. The best judgment OF
many conservative railroad men i'm the
country Is that an immediate addition %
not less than per cent per annum to
lne railroad trackage OF the country for.
saw i've years. should be made to relieve
ne situation and put an end 10 unreason-
ana dnlave