Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-22
Miseellausuus 8eaaing.
HILLS DEFENSE OF RAILROADS.
Declares Agitation Against Them
Hampers Nations Growth.

Hampers Nations Growth.
In an indignant outburst in the
midst of a speech the other night at
Chicago, James ]. Hill, president of
the Great Northern railroad, protest.
ed against the agitation against the
American railroads and plans for gov
ernment ownership Of lines. He de-
clared political agitators are hamper
ing the nations growth.
Mr.. Hill spoke at the dinner of the
Merchants club in the Auditorium
hotel. His theme was the necessity
of free trade with Canada. In his
preface on conditions In the United
States he took up transportation diff
ficulties
To-day the entire country is suffer-
ing from want Of transportation facil-
tiles to move Its business without un-
reasonable delay" he said. "Phe pre-
vailing idea with the public is that
the railways are short Of cars, while
the fact is that the shortage is In
tracks and terminals to provide a
greater opportunity for the movement
Of cars"
After few remarks Of the same
tenor Mr.. Hill suddenly paused and
shook his head. 1t was evident to
all that he was about to say some
thing on subject on which he was
deeply in earnest.
q.
He called attention to an editorial
in a Chicago morning newspaper deal
ing with the railroads side of the
present troubles. He said the news
paper had seen the real point Of the
transportation question.
"It has been noticed" he said en-
phatically. that from June 80, 1895,
to 1s05-ten years-the growth In ton
mileage was 110 per cent. The
growth in the mileage of railroads to
handle that traffic was 90 per cent.
There's where you stand today. You
can see 1t in that brief comparison.
The traffic Of the country is congested
beyond imagination. The commerce
Of the country is paralyzed, which,
continued, means slow death.
More cars? Yes, we need more
cars. but we need also cars Of greater
capacity. heavier trains and more
miles of railroad to haul them over.
In ten years the railroads Of the coun-
try expended 20 per cent for the
handling Of a business that increased
10 per cent. Suppose you are able
In the near future to increase that ex-
pansion so per cent? That will still
leave 40 per cent year of the busi-
ness without any facilities for taking
care Of II.
1T is estimated that from $4,000
to 10000 miles of track must be
built at once to take care OF the i'm
mense business. But to build that
amount will cost as much as the civil
war cost at least 1t will cost from
$4,000. 100000 to $4,000, 100000. A
thousand million dollars year for
ave years will scarcely suffice. Why.
there is not money enough or rails
enough in all the world TO do this
thing.
"And II the rails were piled up
ready for the undertaking. and IL the
money were in bank today II would
be impossible to get the labor with
which to do It. Labor in the mines.
In the forest. In the quarry, are be-
hind stone wall which they cannot
scale.
IT tell you there Is no question since
the civil war Of half the consequence
OF this one. Why. you can't go out
and contract with any railroad in this
country to move 500 cars Of freight
from here to New York in thirty days.
And the railroad could not deliver 1t
II It should contract to do 1t.
There is not money enough avail
able to bring relief to this situation
under the conditions existing. You
may be able to see way out but I
can't. Are men going to invest their
money in railroads as long as the rail-
roads are considered outlaws: The
fact Is that the railroad has not been
getting justice in this country. Why,
In the recent campaign we beheld the
spectacle of two great political parties
preaching the doctrine Of the opera
ton Of the railroads by the govern
ment. The Federal government is to
run the main lines-they are the only
ones that make any money nowadays
and the private investors can have
the branch lines, there being no profit
In them. Is this the way to get men
to put more money into the country's
railroads? Is this the way to get
more railroad mileage so that the
'ourtry's freight can be moved.
ut is time to call halt in this
treatment Of the railroad. Why, I
challenge you to point out road that
has not failed at some point in its ca
reer. Most OF them have had their
napital wiped out and have gone into
the hands of receivers. It's been u
fad, and a costly fad, to build rail-
roads,"
Here Mr.. Hill abruptly stopped and
looked around with an embarrassed
smile.
81 hope you will pardon me for this
he said. IT merely want
ed to make these remarks as a kind
of encouragement to the discussion OF
the problem"
]. T. Harahan, the newly elected
president Of the Illinois Central rail-
road. who recently returned to Chica-
go from New York, made 1T clear that
he did not agree with President James
]. Hill of the Great Northern as to
the cause Of congestion Of freight traf-
fc.
What we want more than anything
else Is more cars and more locomo-
tives," said Mr.. Harahan. II see Mr..
Hill said in a speech that. while busi-
ness had increased 10 per cent In the
last ten years railroad trackage had
Increased only 20 per cent. He must
mean the actual miles Of new rail-
road. l don't believe he has taken in
to account the double tracking and In
a IL