Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-01-17
AS HILL VIEWS IT
President Of Great Northern Writes
to Governor Of Minnesota Re-
garding Railroad Problem.
HAS LITTLE HOPE OF RELIEF
Business Has Increased 90 Fast
Roads Have Been Unable to
Keep Pace With it--cost Of
Needed Improvements.

saa~-
st. Paul, MINI, Jan. 16.-Goy. John
A. Johnston Monday received q long
letter from James ]. Hill, presiden.
Of the Great Northern Railroad com
pany in which the railway magnate
deals exclusively with the various
phases Of the railroad problem.
Mr.. Hill sets out at length what
in his opinion, Is responsible for the
existing situation and what should be
done to remedy It.
The western country has grown SO
fast that the railroads have been
unable to keep pace with 1t, Mr.. Hin
says, and he believes the building
OF additional trackage is the best 80
luton Of the problem.
He says 1t would require perman-
emit investment Of $1,100, 10000 year
for five years to provide the rail
roads of the country with means to
handle properly the business already
In sight and not allowing for future
growth.
Mr.. Hills letter follows in part;
During recent years the volume of
business has increased and is In
creasing with extraordinary rapidity;
while the necessary additional track
age and terminals have not been equal
to the demands upon them. The re-
sulting situation is freight blockade
Of enormous proportions especially
at all terminal points. How TO rem
edy this Is a problem, financial, me-
chanical 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
significant, facts:
From 1895 to 1905-sdngle tracA
mileage, increase 81 per cent.
Locomotives, increase So per cent.
Passenger cars, increase % per
cent, Freight ton mileage increase
118 per cent.
Freight cars, increase AZ per cent
Passenger mileage, increase 95 per
cent.
"TSsse figures show the cause Of
delay In the national traffic move
ment, which threatens to bring indus
try to a standstill. Equipment is be-
ing increased as rapidly as capital
and labor can do 1t. There are and
will be cars enough to carry the coun-
try's traffic II the cars can be moved,
but engines and cars must have
tracks on which they may run.
mo additions to equipment and no
increased efficiency in operation can
take the place Of the imperatively
required new trackage and terminal
facilities. The country must have,
as rapidly as it can be built, addition
al tracks and terminal facilities.
After stating the difficulties sur
rounding the acquiring of new ter
minal facilities, he says:
1.-THE new work, then, would amount
to $780, 100000 in round numbers,
or a yearly average of $1,1O0,O0O,000
That is the sum which should be
spent before the commerce OF the
country can be moved properly. 1t is
lust twice the amount Of the bonded
debt Of the United States after the
close of the civil war. 1t Is more
than twice the entire currency In cir,
culation in the country, and only a
little less than twice the deposits In
all the savings banks In the United
States put together.
"The problem and necessity are
enormous. At IA tons to the mile, II
would require 2,0O0,0 900 tons of steel
rails every year to furnish the 1900
miles Of track required. This is near
" twothirds Of the product Of all the
rolling mills in the United States. 1t
would call for the labor Of 100000
men in grading besides track layers.
bridge builders and others. Labor
even for such ordinary extensions
and improvements as are now being
made is not to be had In sufficient
quantities on any terms. And 1t de
mands, as has been seen, the invest
ment in permanent railroad plants
OF s1,1OO, 100000 a year for five years
to provide the railroads Of the coun-
try with means to handle properly the
business already in sight, not allowing
for future growth. This is the real
railroad problem Of the United States