The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-16
NORTHWEST NEEDS RAILROADS
,1,> FR4NCIS ADAMS REPORTS
tLL LINES contested

And the March OF, Progress Held In Check
II, Lack OF Transportation Coming OF
mo III. paul VIM he Welcomed by Other
R~olds-0sslhed systems in the East.
po.roN. June is .-Charles Francis Adams,
.ho tanker. has just returned from a long
,,,r If Oregon and Washington. on which
4, NADIA A close study Of railroad conditions.
de said:
.They who find fault with the congested
,-aaic conditions on certain Eastern rail-
roads may he surprised to learn that the
conditions in sparsely settled Oregon and
Washington are as bad as on any system in
ths middle West and the Eastern States.
IN nv recent tour in the Northwest opera
,ors Of the principal roads told me that large
,onnaRes Of products have been held for
s1 months awaiting transportation.
Il saw many trainloads of agricultural
and manufactured products, that are when
rosslble carried in box cars, going on fiat
oars AZ owners risk as to damage by rain.
The principal operator of a great system
said 10 me.
depend upon it, there is nothing in this
talk of the enmity Of our road to the plans
Of the 81. Paul system TO enter our territory.
y We say speed the day when competition will
mo developed, for it will be a boon to us and
10 everybody in our territory. There is
business enough for both systems. De-
msuds FOR railroad transportation for
thousands of miles tributary to our lines are
increasing faster than we can provide faclh-
lies Even when all outstanding orders for
motive power and cars are filled our troubles
will not be over, for the question of provid-
ing sections of double tracks, more sidings
and better terminal facilities will then press
ypunus hardly In the matter of terminals.
the questions Of getting land, wharf sites.
and the work Of c~onstructional engineering
mean wears away for the completion OF
works long ago planned
Mr.. Adams says that there is nothing
in the financial or commercial conditions
IN the Northwest that gives foundation
for the pessimistic opinions expressed OF
late bv a few railroad operators that there
to he ere long a marked degree OF falllng
m in the volume OF business.
sOn the contrary says Mr.. Adams.
the conditions in the Northwest indicate
that It's development is CONSTRUCTED only
ly the lack Of adequate transportation
facilities. As soon as these are provided
many broad plans for the creation OF new
industries and the enlargement OF existing
Enterprises in Oregon and Washington
will be carried out"
speaking Of certain railroad systems in
the older settled parts of the country, Mr..
Adams said:
1T seems TO me that in recent years
several of these systems have become
o.sIhed. Most of the great railroad men
Who made these roads important con-
'rihutors to the welfare OF the people have
passed away. Few of their successors
are Of the large mental calihre Of the men
like Edgar Thompson, Thomas A.: Scott,
Commodore Vanderbilt, his son William.
\ j Cassatt and a number of men Of like
mental calibre on other systems. To-day
there are far too many small men in large
places on certain roads. Men of that kind
are to a large degree responsible for GER
TAIN reprehensible practices in railroad
operation and financing that are question
able to say the least and which have
brought about intolerable conditions that
nave adversely affected almost everybody
within the sphere of the territory served
nv the systems controlled by these men,
rho IN one way or another, by hook or by
crook mostly by crook have managed
to place themselves in the seats Of rail
road power. Several trunk lines have
erred by appointing men TO high office
only because they grew up on the line
and in the natural course of events were
promoted. not because Of tines but be-
cause they were in the line of promotion.
Numbers az men so promoted are UNIT
for administering large properties"