The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-25
nErrEn RAILROAD Eau,r,rENr

|
| United States there be compulsory sub
stitution of steel for wooden passen-
ger cars. and that universal block
! signals on the railroads be provided.
The estimated total cost would DO
$3.50. 100000 or $500, 900, 900. This brings
up the question as to interest bur
dens on one hand and savings in oper-
ating expenses on the other. Interest
on $f5o,0o0oo0. at, say, IL per cent,
would be S33,000.000. Statistics of the
Interstate Commerce Commis sion for
the year 1909 show that the railroads
paid S3.50o.o0o in that year for clear
Ing wrecks" and SlS,00u,O00 for In
juries to persons. total OF S2l.5o0.000.
In the same yeur they paid $4,000
600 for loss and damage to freight,
but the greater part OF this loss comes
from causes that have nothing to do
with wrecks. Personal injury claims
arise in some part Independently OF
collisions and telescoped cars. Then
too, the savings brought about in these
directions by block signals and steel
cars would follow and not accompany
the capital expenditures involved, ana
so transition period" unquestion-
ably embarrassing to all but the
strongest roaus, would be created.
With the completion OF the physical
changes demanded, there Is IL question
as 10 whether the roads could save
more than two thirds OF the eXpcnsc
on clearing wrecks and injuries TO
persons, or more than @ third of the
total bill for freight loss and damage.
That would mako S22,UUO,uoO altosetn-
er, or two-thirds of tho interest bur
den threatened
The cost of steel cars would not be
the whole bin for that special item OF
reform. Steel ears make very heavy
trains. and a large proportion OF the
: railroads. would havo 10 supply them
selves with new and more powerful
motive power, not when the old wore
out. but Just as soon as steel cara were
put into use. In advance OF the opcr-
alton OF such cars countless bridges
would have to DO torn down and re-
P'SSSG Win hcGNS structures, or would
have to be rebuilt or reinforced
With reference to this matter of
reconstruction of the roaubed, the
Wan Street Journal. the source of our
information. says:
This Is true In spite OF the fact that
many roads are now WORKING win
steadily increasing freight car ana
rain loaos. and that all are striving
III that direction. a heavy passenger
irain presupposcs much more in tho
cay OF roadbed, bridges and such
minor Items us switches and cross
overs than the slowly moving heavy
;reiShts. railroad managers uarc not
content themselves with bare compIi-
Ance with whatever measures Congress
may pass and forget tho further ru-
sponSiUillues which the framcrs Of
avs are in position to ignore
What tho additional expense OF suit.
'icntly aolid roadbcds and structures
"ould amount to is suessw crk even for
The experts. but that it would run up into
he hundreds of millions there is scant
room for doubt. At an rate the Ger
lain saving in personal daISages ana
destruction of property would only
mitigate. not entirely offset, tho in
terest burden sought to be imposed"
This is. OF course. material view
OF the matter. but it is also tho only
practical Wow of It, The humanitarian
side of the case IS obvious Railroad
authorities should have Impressed upon
them the desire for safer equipment,
but the railroads are not blind TO tho
necessity of taking better care OF
their employees and passengers There
are several drastic bills in Congress
now which are OF such a nature that
II they were passed the railroads
could not possibly comply with thoir
provisions, because the railroads sim-
ply DO not possess the means. Moro
workable laws. laws adapted to con-
ditions IS they exist in the railroad
world to-day, should be demanded or
Congress steel cars and block sig
nails must come, but gradually and in
method which will be reasonable In
the light of the limitations under
which railroads carry on business.
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