The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1907-02-01

and changing alignment. .......--..- 6.9t26sA
In new steel bridges for heavier power 2.57s54o
In branches and spurs to industrles. 28b529s
In side. passing and commercial tracks II 4'Ste
In shops. tools and machinery ---.--.- ZO4l,l4o
In additions aad Improvement TO yards
real estate. roadway and STRUCTURES
and other Improvements and additions s,z2Ao12
ora total Acknowledgement. B51s4,ols
1t has spent or contracted to spend
For new equipment --.---- $40 22559
For Joint terminals completed its por-
For terminals ..-.---... ..--.--.-... oz31Jl
For double tracking ..------..... b.tft-'oS
Making d total Of work done and con-
tr Tsffe' 'o' 70 '''' 80 ''',.'.'' $50 4s298
It has increased its rolling stock as follows:
Locomotives. from e28 to treceiyed and con-
Freight train cars from Is. e24 to treceived and
contracted for s.. 1871,
Passenger train cars fIom 4s7 to trecelved ana
contracted for ZOOS
This does not indicate fully the increase made
to its equipment by fhe Company. because the
increased power Of the locomotives. and the in
creased tonnage capacity of the cars have added
much more to the equipment capacity Of the
Company than the number Of added units would
represent For example the average capacity
Of the freight cars has increased . IS per cent
A fair consideration Of these figures VIII dem
Onstrate the fact that the management of
this Company has not been unmindful Of its OBJ
legation to increase its facilities in anticipation
OF the increase in traffic.
1t has been. and still is hampered, however by
two conditions One is the large amount Of
fresb capital required and the other. the diff
Guilty Of securing adequate and efficient labor, Of
promptly getting its construction work done,
and Of obtaining the rolling stock. rail and other
material essential to improved facilities.
4 Delay incident TO obtaining rolling stock viii
+ be illustrated by the following:
+ On November /. 1905. contract was made for
ninety eight locomotives and one thousand eight
/ hundred and six freight cars to be delivered in
February and March 1906 There are still undeIiv-
cred one hundred and seventy-seven freight cars
on February /, 1906, contract was made for one
hundred locomotives and ten thousand freight
care to be delivered on or before October. 1900.
Stiu undeuvered seventeen locomotives and two
thousand two hundred ana eighteen freight cars.
/ The disappointing delay in construction work
viii be illustrated by the following.
The d0ub5e track work on the main line be-
tween Pomona and Spencer. \. C.. was al let
during the year 1905. and the last Of it should
/ have been completed by November 30. 1906. Part
Of this work is months late and the rest Of it
( viii be approximately five months late This de
las is due to the difficulty of the contractors in
getting labor and material
+ The contracts for the double track work be
tween Knoxville and Norristown, Tenn. were
I let III september. 1905 snd April 1905. That part
/ Of the work which should have been completed
+ TO date is approximately ten months late. This
delay is due to the inability of the contractors to
Eet labor promptly
The double track work between Peytou and
/ Austel. Ga. the contract for which was let in
/ ArriI. 500. and which should have been com
pleted in February, 1906, VIII be more than four
/ teen months late in completion. This delay Is
due TO scarcity OF labor and material
4 Fhe prosecution of this double track work has
necessarily caused some Of the delay to the traffic
/ Of which the public complains and necessarily
results to the Cgmpany in increased cost OF OPP
Grafton.
The fact that the Conway. IN its effort 10 i'm
prove its facilities TO handle the public business,
has not been deferred from undertaking this
work a. a time when the cost of materials and
/ labor is on such unusually high plane should,
/ / think. be accepted.by the public earnest
! of the Company's desire and purpose to put it
self in position to perforra soceptably its pub
/ lie duties.
One of the greatest needs of the South Is that its
Railroads should have additional track capacity.
No nlattsr how many locomotives and cars may
I be available. it Is manifest that the number
which can be moved is limited by the track ca
pacity. The work Of providing the necessary ad-
ditional track viii require vast input Of capi-
! ital How it IS TO be prov ided is everyH here a
4 matter Of grave concern to railroad managers It
/ cannot be obtained from the current operation
/ Of the properties. It must be borrowed
Looking forward to the need for largely increas-
ed facilities. the management last spring author
lied the creation OF the Company Development
and General Mortgage bonds 10 the amount Of
500 600 10000 OF these bonds S20 600 o00O0 were
at once sold and the proceeds are being spent as
existing facilities Of the Company. II IS the in
I tenti0n Of the management 10 pursue this policy
and provide such Of these additional facilities as
may be required 70 meet the growing demands
/ OF business.
As bearing upon the capacity of the railroad
companies to obtain the means to make neces-
sary additions to their facilities and to provide
the most approved safety appliances in opera
ton the public should give fair business consid-
GRAFTON to the situation which confronts the
carriers
The present situation is:
An immense increz sc in all expenses, without
any increase IN rates-iR fact. with the PROPOSE
ton almost universally made 70 decrease rates
The large increase in expenses may be illus
ted as follows;
Since 1898
Bridge timber has increased from SIS to s2o52
per thousand feet.
Cross ties from q cents to S4.5 per tie.
steel rails from S17.75 per ton TO $500 per ton
since 1895 prices Of equipment have increased
as follows
Locomotives from 81 1872 to from $1,000 to
$20000
Passenger coaches from 1886 TO g. 46S.
Freight cars from S500.43 to s765oo-
Coal cars from sos. 90 to 81 1880.
The cost OF labor has increased per mile OF road
from 81 81 in 1895 s2s74.71 in 1906 and from
51364 per mile of road in 1905 TO g STAT IN 1906
Taxes of the Company per mile of road have
since 1895. increased IS. per cent.
To this large increase Of expense must be add