New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1908-01-11
From Wedn esday's Daily.
CARS Ale PLENTIFUL.

There passed through this City
within the last few days an official
OF the Southern Pacific Railroad,
who was looking for place or
places where might be stored away
something like 500 cars. the prop
erty Of that line, for which there
is at present no demand by ship
pers. 1t is alleged that the yards
at Algiers and at points at the
West are filed to oyerfowiEg
with cars for which there is not
the least demand.
The present state OF affairs IN
railroad circles is quite different
from what it was just year ago.
Then it will be remembered that
the lumber mills were complaining
that they were hundreds of ears
short, the salt mines could not get
enough cars to supply their orders
and manufacturers had to take
their chance in getting facilities
f. the shipments of their goods.
Just year ago the railroad
was able to supply one car for
every ten demanded. Today it can
supply ten ears for every one
demanded. Even a few weeks
ago the freight traffic along the
road was noticeably heavy. To-
day the number Of cars hauled
over the line is noticeably less
than for many years. In fact it is
said that for the last thirty years
has there been so little doing in
the freight line as at present.
Where these 500 cars will be
stored is a problem. 1t is said
that many Of them will go to the
switches along the Midland
branch. Others will go into the
sugar districts where there will
be little use for the side tracks
until the next crop comes. Sid
ings all along the line hereabout
and way over in Texas will be
filled up with unused ears waiting
for the movement Of freight to be
begun again.
Down in New Orleans railroad
officials say that ears are now com
ing back which have not been
seen on their own rails for several
years and the term "piratical
line" in railroad parlance is be-
coming a thing of the past. Pres
ident Harahan, said that the Hi
nois Central, which last year had
about $4,000 cars of it's own rails,
has secured almost every one, and
the 10000 cars of foreign lines in
use by the Illinois Central have
all been returned. Thus each
line is getting back its own cars
and President Harahan says the
car muddle will be solved so that
when the rush comes the respective
lines in all parts of the country
will be in fair shape to handle it.
That this idleness Of the cars
will have a great effect on the
railroad employees is undOubted.
Between 1000 and 5000 of the
employees Of the Illinois Central
Railroad have been dropped from
the Company's payrolls on account
|of the financial stringency and the
falling off Of business, according
to President J. T. Harahan, who
was in the city on trip Of inspec-
ton, accompanied by other off
cials of the Company.
The Company, Mr.. Harahan
said, has been carrying out the
improvements i; Lad under way,
but as these were completed other
new work was not undertaken, and
as a result the employees on the
completed work were discontinue
ed. Others have been let out be-
cause Of falling off in business.
1t will thus be seen that the
Southern Pacific is not the only
line that is suffering ON account
of the sudden stoppage Of pro-
duction. 1t would not be sur
prising to learn that all over the
country the same condition Of af-
fairs is in existence and that dur
ling the winter of 1898 less freight
will be carried by all the railroads
.han for a quarter of century.