The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-17

 | ro the. difffculty of. the contractors in getting labor and. material .. ls The contracts fer thes double track I work between Knoxville and Meffas- town. Tenn, were let in Septensoer, 1 1905. and. Aprik 1s06@ phst part or tae' work which. should haves been oempaet. ed to date. is- apprsxifaately Y. ten-montns' M | late. This delay is. due to- thes inabfl- I ity of. the contractors tes get. labor. [ Tfre double track work bs4ween Peys- ! ton and Austeli. Ga, the contract for | vi hfeh was. let. in Aprils 1aeSy and3 wnacn Should. hs@s- beens coaspletedt ins Heo-- Fuarys leess will be nors. than t1ui. sr., l cen .non4hs. late in completion. Tdis' | relay iss due to- scarcity of. labar' and I matefiai;
 The preseeatier. ofs this. donbie4 track wprlr has necessarily csuseds soTneA uf' ihes delay. to- the- trsffic oit which, the I pubite- complains snda neccssarjayt re-
 sults- to the compeny in. increased cost 1 off opeTatieHS I The fact that the. conpatlsS, In, its sefs- l fort to improve its facilities. toS han. de. the public. bRsinessE hass not been detekfss. frona undertaking this work l att a. time wtIen, tfIes costs of niafeSaaas and& aberGiss on. cha an unnsuaIly1 high | plane. should. T. think. bet accept eds by l the public as- ana eaidenee ofs thes CaIn~
 pangssi desire andS purpose to- put 1t, selfs in as position tot pexferns accapts, ably itss public dntiesz
 + One of the greatest needss ofs the
 South. iss that it's railroads. shouldsiIaxeI addttionals track capacity. No. matter.
 how. many, locomotives atld4 cars. mav- be, available. it is manifest tisat the number which can. bea novedS is~ linn ited- hy the track capaeitys ThsA work
 of providing tiIe~ necessary additional track will require. a. vast inpnts oft cap- ital. Hpw~ it: ss to. bes provided iss ep-
 cry sissse q matter of grave concern,
 to, railroad managers It. carssot. he-
 obtaAne1s ffoema the. current. operatlons
 rowed.
 F Looking forwarda to- the, needs Tor
 largely incrsased4 facilities, the man~T agehaents last spring. authorized tle,cre-
 ation> ofe thes campangass development
 andf general, nlortEage5 bends> to. ttes amount ofs $s1a.00AsDA0. Ofs these benasy $2e .0eegOeez were. ats once soldA and the
 proceeds areG heings spent. ass rapidly as, thea werlss can be- donee in addtng4 to-
 the existing factlities4 of the- conapany> It iss the intention ofs the paanae euaentl to- pNrsnes tf is policy ands provide, such of tlEeses additional facilities. as may. be,
 required to meet the growing. demands. of husinessA
 |; As4 bearing upon, tlse1 capaeitye off the. railroad; cornpanies to. obtain the means
 to, make> necessary additions to their, facilities and. to- provide. the. most ap- proved safety appliances in operation. the public should give. fair business
 consideration, to- the situation which confrantssthe cafFiers-
 l The present situation is:
 An immense, increase in all, expsns- es. without any increase in rates--in. fact, with the proposition. almost uni- yersally' made to- decrease rates. by Legislative: action,
 l Since 1sess
 II Bridge, timber. has increaseds from 4 $9s3S> to $2e. 5a per thousandI: feet. Urosss ties. from 2s cents to s4> 5- steel; railss from sa7. 75- per ton. to. $2ss0ei per ton.
 Since. 1S6s,' Prlees of, Equlpneuts Have. Increased asa FolIowsi Loeomotiyess from. sJliSsss te5 sass- 4ss; v '''e7- FJeight. cars. from sss.4s. to, s7s5. %. Coal cars from ,$s6s O. yto. $1.135. I The cost. of labor has increased. per
 mile of roaa- frop $I.s2ll. 67 in 1895 to s2,SS4 .7i in 1906; and. from. $2-53s;64,
 1906. =. s,
 Taxes. of. the Company, per mile of.
 road; have, sipse4 lssSs, infreased Ss. fl per cent
 TO this large increase, of expense
 must, bes added the4 excessive verdicts,
 of juriess in, personal injury, cases 1 In, addition to- this, thers. is a, mark
 ed, tendency. on the. part, oft naany, of | thes States. tp- regards any failure, of
 service asr wlllfuls spd9 to impose upon. J thes carried a. heavy penalty therefeTe + Inasmuch asc adeapatet facilities for l,,II 3An E., 1r,Ci- - I tion of a. penalty fer- fai lure to. furnish cars under the above. mentioned cir
 cnmstances, if has, any, effect, other l than merely to depletes the Treasury of l4he. carrier and, to deprive. 1t, to. that
 extent, of; the power to- deprive it, to
 that exteht, of, the power tS. improve,
 it's. tFarspogtation ana: seEyise. must the tcayrieT,s' facilities, from, the ser vice in respect to, which there! Is no
 pepalty, in order to use them in the service where. there iss a. penalty. The, logical result Vf, this. would be a race between the States. to, see which could;
 inAict, the highest peHalty so, as to
 obtain. a, pFefstencey for. its. own e:ti-
 zens-
 build railroad tracks, supply equip
 ment, or enlarge and simplify ternlin- 1 als. nor would It, under the .circum- stances, mentioned, benefit the trans
 portatien service, as a, whole, but. on I the contrary, would tend to ptoduce injustiee and diseNminattonl between persons. and localities Resides this
 naturally would, develop into, a. prefer | epce in favor. of State commerce.. oyer l interstate. commerce. But. the larger | inteFests of the. shipping public of the i South are in interstate commerce. for | the reason that their. principal parr {, kets are the larger markets of the country which are, in other. States. l That this condition is, appreeiated, by
 the slippers win be apareht from the
 following Guotation from a. letter just
 received from, a. laEse shipper
 Practically all our shipments go
 out of the. State; therefore. We cannot
 use Form II Ca form, used for the pur- I pose Of avaliinE of the penalty lave I of the State). c6nsequently orders for
 shipments within the 'State when. ship i pers use Form 41 are given preference"
 It. is not. to he wondered at. that the i large, increase in the cost. of. materials, i eaulppept and labor, and, other. exz pspses. above adyerted to. and the in I creased 1jf5cuities fin Transportation
 are. as shown by it's published reports. ;. reelected in a, large. decrease of the net . earnings of tho company since JHly i. | 1906: notwithstanding it's increased
 gross earnings,
 l With these greatly increased. ex- l pepses fer materials for labor for tax
 es, for penalties. and. for damage claims,
 and with the just demands Of the pub | lie for better facilities and greater ' Pat aF nnaroftNt, f ,,nuat