The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-02-05

figures Before coming down -
mathematics. however. ne took occa-
with his personal rotuudity that h~
residence IN Norfolk had led him -
consider North GaroIinIans ~ the
- me spirit as had prompted Governor
AytDck - ~4y to Il Norfolk assem-
blage So the beginning ~ mis- speech
"Doan nomers tn. Seaboard was
largest tax-pay@r~. Its work had
been - dcteloD the state ana m" at
tifud" Of all IFS officers mad been
everything but in.mical.
But he was amazed af The Juror
which had been raised against the
railroads, not only In North 90 rolina,
bat throughout the south, Why was
IT, what had the railroads done.
The situation mad brought the roads
facc to face with = most serious prob
lem. Why was This the ca~e1 The
most patriotic uer in tho south had
been raltE0a1 men. When General
X. II. Hokc. whom General Lee had
deemed worthy to succeed l. tho cher
command Of the Confederate armies.
returned from the war he had devoted
his life to railroad building. When
Col a. r.. Andrews. who was always
on the firing line and Who fell sup
poscdly mortallv wounded. left ~"
field Of battle for his country. he en-
tered upoa the work or it, develop
ment through railroads. Yet h
| doubte not that colonel Andrews
had found the attacks which had
been made upon him during the prog
ress Of that work more harmful that
he had the bullets of the enemy
After having performed this pro-
fcesionaI courtesy towards colonel
Andrews. Judge Watts further cleared
decks by stating the history Of the
~Sraboard Air Line. which he said had
consistently fought for Independence,
under Hoffman, under Williams and.
finally. when the latter was forced -
quit under Barr. Mn. Ryan. he de-
clared. had come into the property
| at the earnest solicitation Of Mr.. vii
liams. when the latter found that n"
could no longer carry the burden. He
asked no special faVOrs for the Sea-
board. however. but only that it be
given the privileges which it ought 10
have of right and under the conslitu-
ton. Rates and the moOtod ques-
ton Of their reduction was q matter
Of vital importance to the railroads
and whatever was Of vital Importance
To them was of equal importance to
the people. What is detrimental to
the one is equally detrimental to the
Other. The interests Of each are 50
interviewer as tot To permit of their
disasSOciatiOn. Now as to rates, he
took it to be admitted that population
is the most important factor in pas
senger traffic as good crops n buSi-
ness conditions are in the matter Of
freight traffic.
Population and Rates.
With this text Judge Watts proceed
ed to compare at length passenger
statistics and reports Of railroad earn
ingS in Massachusetts and in North
Carolina. going largely over ground
which has already been fully COW
cred before the committee. to the end
Of showing that in Massachusetts the
population is $50 to the square mile
| as against 40 in North Carolina, earn
| ings nine times as large from pas
Lsenger service and twenty times as
many passengers, with only LIZ
more miles of railway.
The excess of passengers, he stated,
indicates the profit, because the rail
road is at comparatively no added eX-
pense in transporting many instead Of
few
Further going into comparison.
Judge Watts stated that the Seaboard
traversed the States of Virginia, the
two Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and
Florida. which had a population Of
G,681,8S0.
IN Pennsylvania, Massachusetts,
Ohio. New Jersey and Connecticut,
States in which the rate is partly or
in whole two cents, the population was
23,319,O 600.
In this disparity of population, it
'' $1,000
rate.
Grouping States which had two cent
fares in some instances, Judge Watts
showed earnings per mile from pas
senger service as follows:
Group /, in which Massachusetts
and Connecticut are two cent States,
$5,263 per mile.
Group 2, including New York. New
Jersey and Pennsylvania, s4,513.
Group 3, including Chic Figures
taken before rate reduction) $2,4S1.
Group 4, in which were North Caro-
lima, Virginia. West Virginia and
South Carolina, showed only earnings
Of $1,4G1 per mile.
The earnings of the Seaboard We're
the lowest of the roads which went to
make this low showing. Recently in
North Carolina the Seaboard had been
actually operating its trains at a loss.
Proceeding, Judge Watts quoted
figures which showed the increases in
the pay OF officers and labor on the
railroads in the several groups, the
figures quoted showing that there had
been in the Southern group larger in
creases made to such employees as
enginemen and conductors than in the
North and Western groups of roads,
and smaller increases made in the pay
of general officers.
S~cahoarsfs Officers Salaries.
on this subject Judge Watts stated
that the salaries Of the general Of
ficerS OF the SCabOard had actually
been decreased by ten thousand dol
lars. and that the aggregate mount
Of such salaries on the system was
now the enormous sun of $4,000 q
year"
As to lack of facilities, Judge Watts
stated that nobody appreciated the
needs more than the railroad man
agementS. He quoted from Mr.. Hill
showing the great disparity between
increase of business and the increase
of mileage and the vast needs in the
way of new capital. The Seaboard
had done all it could to meet the con-
ditions. 1t had spent in equipment or
agreed to spend over $1,000, 900 in
three years. or over 25c. of its gross
earnings for that period. Could any
Oad do more?
In addition everything was going
on in price. The fuel bill had in
creased s250.0O0; labor had increased
$4,000. Operating expenses were
practically half a million heavier in
1906 over 1905. Locomotives had
from $13,500 to $4,000:
passenger cars and freight ears cost
twenty-five per cent more than form
erly. Taxes had greatly increased, III
4 . nn tlN. - on a = nl