Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-01-15
PEOPLE BLAMED
FOR EVERYTHING
Hill Holds Them Respon-
sible for Shortcomings
Of Railroads

81. raul, jail. lU.--NIofCIIOI VOHiiSou
has received letter from J. J.
Hill. president of the Great Northern
Railway company, in which the magnate
deals exhaustively with the various
phases of the railroad problem.
Mr.. Hill sets out at length what.
in his opinion, 10 responsible for the
existing situation and what should be
done to remedy It. The western coun-
try has grown so fast that the railroads
have been unable to keep pace with
it, Mr.. Hill said. and he believes the
building Of additional trackage Is the
best solution Of the problem.
He says 1t will require q permanent
Investment Of s1.1O0.oOO.ooo year for
five years to provide the railroads OF
the country with means to handle prop
erly the business already in sight and
not allowing for future growth.
Text Of Hills Letter.
Mr.. Hills letter follows in part:
During recent years the volume of
business has increased and is increas-
ing with extraordinary rapidly while
the necessary additional trackage and
terminals have not been equal to the
demands upon them. The resulting sit
uation is freight blockade of enor-
nous proportions. especially at all ter
minal points. How to remedy this Is a
problem financial. methodical and
physical. No time should be lost In
applying such measures of remedy as
may be possible.
THE following figures compiled from
the official reports OF the Interstate
commerce commission and covering
the growth of the railroad business
for the last ten years exhibit the fol-
lowing facts:
For year 1895, total single track
mileage 1sO,s67; in 1905. 21s,1o1; increase
81 per cent.
Locomotives in 1895, 3s,1l2; in 1905,
4S.357; in crease IS per cent. It
Passenger cars in 1895, 33.111; "A
1906. 4O,713; in crease % per cent.
Freight cars in 1895, 1.1s6,1ls; in
1906. 1871. 400; increase As per cent.
Passenger mileage In 1850 I2,1Ss,-
44S.271; in 1905. 2s.soO. l4s. 4se; increase
IS per cent.
Freight ton mileage in 1896. 49,
227, SIS, Ss1; in 1906. 1856. 4s3,- $40; in
crease 11S per cent.
Increasing Equipment.
These figures show the cause 1T
delay in the national traffic movement
which threatens to bring industry to \
standstill Equipment is being in
creased as rapidly as capital and labor
can do 1t. There are and will be cars
enough to carry the countrys traffic If
cars must have tracks on which they
may run.
THE limit of servic ~ common
carrier has been reached when it has
tenn as many cars as can be run on it's
tracks with safety and transferred from
its terminals and junction points with
out unreasonable delay Beyond tina.
point increase of busiaess cannot be
handled by increasing cars and en-
gines. The disparity between the
growth of traffic and the aau.,lons to
railroad mileage and the extension of
terminals, shown by a new mileage of
less than one and one half per cent a
year since 1901 then to take care of
traffic increase avesaaing eleven per
cent year for 10 years past, presents
and explains the real problem.
Says Roads Are Diiigent.
THE best judgment OF many conser-
yative railroad men in the country As
that an Immediate addition of not less
than five per cent per annum to the
trackage of the country for say five
years should be m to relieve the
situation and put an end to unreason-
able delays.
Investigations show that the rail-
roads of the country have been diligent
to meet the growing demand on them.
Not only Do per cen, locomotives and
~ pei cent Cars are al the StTNlt<
in 1905 than in 1895 but each engine and
car did much more work. Trains run
faster, cars are larger. locomotives are
more powerful and methods of handling
the business have so Improve as to
increase the general efficiency.
mo additions to equipment and no
increased efficiency in operation can
fake the place of the imperatively re-
duired. new trackage and terminal Ia
ciiities. The country must have. as
rapidly as it can b. built. additional
tracks and terminal - ilities.
Question Of Construction.
No practical man would accept a
contract for furnishing the facilities
required. including additional equip
ment and terminal facilities, for less
than S75 600 a mile The question OF