Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-08
C. e. NV. HARD HIT.

Mr.. l.. T. Nichols, general manager
Of the Carolina and North Western
railway, passed through Yorkville on
Wednesday morning on a trip up the
line, ind in short talk with report
er expressed himself as very much
discouraged on account Of the recently
passed passenger rate law OF North
Carolina, which makes fiat rate of
two and quarter cents a mile.
1--WE are up against a hard propo-
sition," said Mr.. Nichols, "and one that
we can hardly see light ahead in. You
see, 1t is this way, on our road we only
ave one passenger train a day,
cause there is not business enough to
Justify more, and regardless Of In
creased expenses we have to run that
train. We are not fixed like some OF
the larger roads of North Carolina,
for instance, where there may be pos
sibly a dozen trains over single d.
vision every day at present. Those
roads can meet the new passenger rate
by simply cutting trains and thus
reducing the expenses Of passenger
trains and thus reduce operating ex-
penses. The only way heretofore,
small roads like this one have been able
to make ends meet has been due to
the liberality Of the larger roads with
which they have connections. For In
stance, the Southern or the Seaboard
might handle ten or twenty times as
much passenger business as we do on
interchange business. Well, to save
inconvenience to the travelling public
In making two rates they made a sin
gle rate for the Interchangeable busi-
ness and give the smaller road the
benefit Of larger percentage Of the
revenue. In this way they seek to
equalize the proportion Of expense be-
tween the larger and smaller roads.
Now comes the new North Carolina
rate law and says we must reduce
passenger fares to two and quarter
cents a mile, and with the amount or
business the C. & NV. can get,
which will not be perceptibly increased
by larger travel will not give us re-
turns sufficient to pay the operating
expenses of even one passenger train y
"Well, in view of the passage Of the
North Carolina rate law, will you put
Nos. Z and on again this spring."
the reporter asked.
mo, the North Carolina rate law
kills all our hopes in that line. You
know last summer that train barely
paid operating expenses in the height
of the mountain travel season, and we
cannot see our way clear to put 1t on
again in the face Of the new rate law"
"Have your operating expenses in
creased very much in the last two or
three years?"
"Yes, very largely. For instance,
lumber today costs us just exactly two
for one as compared with what it did
when we changed this road from mar
row to broad gauge. Labor Is con-
siderably higher; conductors, engi-
neers, firemen, trainmen, agents, office
nelp anu 80 OH dIe dii peiiS P1iu hioA o.
Let me give you an idea. Last year
our earnings increased 100000 over the
year before, which is very handsome
increase when the length Of the road
is considered, but on the other hand
our operating expenses Increased $32,-
900. So you see the increased business
did not keep up with the increased ex-
pense of handling that business"
WELL Mr.. Nichols, what are you
going to do about it?"
well. I don't know, further than
that we are going to keep right on Civ
ing our payrons the very best service
possible under the circumstances, but
how long we can keep up the pace un-
der the new conditions only time Will
tell"