The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-03-12

~ A~"A LII 4AA05AAoA Ii
them To do certain things, and then
taking from them the wherewithal tc
do it.
"A law passed by our present leg
islature reducing passenger rates on
certain roads in North Carolina. when
applied ID the trafiz in question will
cost the roads of your state hundreds
Of thousands Of dollars and would
cost the Atlantic Coast Line based on
last years movement " $500. 600. 90
and at the same time your railroad
commission is ordering Us to increase
the number of passenger trains and
build new passenger stations.
The duty Of the public to the rail
roads is 10 see that they ara justly
treated, and this duty should lie YOURS.
the Chamber of Commerce Of this,
and other cities, as they are the or
CARNATIONS representing the CONNER
cial interests Of the country.
There is a most remarkable wave
of prosperity going over this good
land Of ours, probably without parellcI
III the history of the world. Are rail-
roads sharing in this prosperity? The
statistics of the Atlantic Coast Line
Railroad Company for the past nine
teen months will answer this question
SO far as its rOa is concerned. They
show that for the nineteen months
ending January 31st. 1907. its gross
earnings increased over the previous
nineteen months, s. $500, SCI. 90, and tn
expense mot including investments
for equipment, and similar items
charged TO capital %accOunt) increased
$4,823 $500, showing that while pros
perity" brought in nearly four million
dollars additional revenue the same
prosperity" took away in the way of
increased wages. increased cost of
material, etc. etc, nearly five million
dollars, so for the last ninete II
road Company's share in the pros
is represented by minus 1852
$1,000.
There is another phase Of this ,
question:, which possibly has not oc- ,
Cured to you 1t is natural for those |
W LIZ IILFC 1lOL Idu llIlIt 10 dlIdlN re tu0 :
to believe that the present t;
great volume Of traffic is created |
wholly by the merchant, the farmer,
he fruit grower, etc. 1t will pr0ba-
Dly surprise you to know that a ma
,erial percentage is createl by the
for more equipment, heavier
'ails, increased terminal facilities, etc.
To illustrate:
Our company has ordered in the last
Wo and half years 10, 800 freight cars;
10 passenger equipment cars; 1877 To-
,omotives the weight OF which
mounts to about 400, 600, 900 pounds,
1925 carloads of 20 tons per
al of material which is hauled by
ONE road, and the finished product
epresents 1886 cars and Locomotives
hat are hauled to the points of deliv-
ny.
Besides we have ordered within the
anne period 6O 1000 tons Of steel rail
which means 1,500 cars of 40 tons
apacity, which combined with loco
n cars make a tonnage
rom these items of about $4,000 cars.
This does not include material re-
eived for repairing old equipment,
other material and supplies of
arious kinds, which is probably
reater in the aggregate than the
CURES given above" ,
The coal consumed as fuel by the
-tlantic Coast Line Railroad Company
mounts to about 1900 cars, 100, 900
ounds capacity per month, or $4,000 (
l the period Of two and half years |
to above. All of this coal is |
by roads reaching the coal |
elds, and after delivery to us must |
2 hauled various distances; some of |
as great as 800 miles, in order to |
Zach the point of consumption.
"A railroad has but one source of \
evenue-that which it derives from |
le sale Of transportation. It, like ]
hers, must pay the increased price \
material and labor, and it is not
lily refused the privilege Of increas- \
8 its charges for transportation UNI \
er such conditions; bur laws have \
NN~'-s va lC<~cSNu. III nc JULIE J II
opposed for passage. that materially n
'duce its charges, and at the same \
lie penalty laws have been created \
absorb the reVenue We are permit n
d to collect. N
1t fair 10 say to a T~ailTOad-vCu !
n only charge so much for Your \
mmodity of transportation; and for
is you must move it a certain dis !
nee within a fixed period, regard /
of conditions or pay a heavy pen
ty, in addition to all actual damages
9 owner may have s~ustained?"
Thus you will see that the candle
burning at both ends, and unless
the result is certainly ap-
rent to you all"
The public is demanding increased
increased and better equip
improved stations and more of