The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-25
RAILROAD BUILDING.
Progress in Southern States Is Bein

Progress in Southern States Is Being
 Resumed.
 Baltimore, Oct. 22.--(Special )--Re- viving optimism as to prospects for much needed resumption of railroad construction in the South is indicated In reports of preliminaries for the building of railroads from Bergman to Harrison. Jasper and Clarksville, Ark. from Garnett to Egypt, Ga; from Batesville to Black Rock, Ark, from Abilene to Winters, Texas, from Foley, Ala, to Elberta, and from Fontaine to Marianna. Fla. and for electric rail- ways from Uvalde to Crystal City, Texas. from Augusta. Ga, to New berry or Greenwood. S. C.. and from Winston Salem, N C.. to Stuart. Va.
 This optimism apears to some extent even in the reports of the operations of great railroad systems during the past year of depression. Commenting upon this, The Manufacturers Record says:
 Tt was year of remarkable hard- ship for the roads, practically all of which have sustained heavy decreases in gross earnings from loss of traffic and at the same time they have been In many cases subjected to the effects of harrassing legislation, which like wise helped to cut down profits. On some of the roads the effect of the panic was to reduce the tonnage of high class freight so that the business remaining was mainly that of trans porting raw materials at correspond ingiy low rates and the tonnage of these was also in smaller volume. Few of the reports displayed increases, ex- cept in cost of operating and supplies. Only here and there has any gain in gross earnings been shown and in nearly all cases the increased cost of doing bushes wiped out the slight advance in gross.
 "Considered as whole railroad con- ditions were worse than they had been for fifteen years.
 To make net results as good as possible the railroads resorted to many economies. All construction work not pressingly needed was stopped, this cessation including some Improvements -of considerable importance Some new lines which were planned and even surveyed to the point of actual prepa. rations for building were given up for the time being and are likely to be resumed only when conditions are more favorable for railroad business.
 '"The falling off in equipment orders was tremendous and only recently--in fact some time after the close of the fiscal year-has there been much eyi- dence of desire by any of the com panies to add to their rolling stock. For a time there were practically no orders given for either cars or en- zines and even repair work was post poned until imperatfveIy needed In some instances, although most Of the lines made little If any change in their provisions of maintenance of equip ment. Economy was also practiced in caring for maintenance of way and buildings, only the most essential work heinz donh
 "In some companies there was a re- duction of the salaries of officers and clerks who received annual salaries above certain figure. Few roads were able to effect any economies among their operating mechanical or maintenance forces so far as rates of pay were concerned. but the compa- nies were obliged to lay off many men, yet this did not have the effect of showing an increase in net earnings as compared with the previous year.
 "The report of one railroad eom- pany, however, does note a reduction in operating costs as a result of in- creased efficiency of labor and equip Tnent."