The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1911-05-19
NEW RAILROAD LAWS
INCREASE EXPENSE
CHARLES w. GALLOWAY TELLS
OF THE PRESENT NEED OF
THE COMPANIES.
STATUTES ARE NOT UNIFORM
What Can Be Done In Ohio Cannot Be
Done In This State. While Illinois
is Different-Wlshed TO Be
Left Alone.

Indianapolis .-The railroad superin-
tendent or the future. TO be successful,
should not waste time learning TO
spike down rails. in firing a heavy
freight locomotive over a sti6 grade.
or in scooing about the Icy roof OF a
boxcar IN a 40mile gale. said Charles
W. Galloway general superintendent
OF the Baltimore & Ohio Southwest
ern railroad. who appeared before the
state board of tax commissioners. The
railroad executive, 10 make his divi-
sion pay must be trained business
man. skilled in making a dollar pro
duce another dollar in the face Of cir
cumstances. however adverse, Mr.
Galloway said. and whether the rail
way officer knows an injector from a
bell rope will not make any particular
difference
Changed conditions in railroading.
Mr.. Galloway said, were calling for
diffeDent kind OF men TO control the
railroad properties. The keenness OF
competition that requires better pas
senger and freight services. legisla-
ton that increases the expenditures
OF railroad companies without pro
viding for compensating returns in
railroad earnings. and the increased
cost OF operation without the roads
being permitted by state and national
commissions TO increase their passen-
ger and freight rates, Mr. Galloway
said, had revolutionized the railway
service.
THE multiplicity Of laws directed
against the railroads" said Superin
tendent Galloway. keeps us jumping
about TO obey them What we may
do in Ohio, we may not do in this
state. while Illinois has yet a differ
ent law. This means closer super
vision and added expense. In Janu-
airy, this year our operating expenses
ran GAO per cent. Of our revenue. but
this was in part due to strike
among the machinists: in February
the percentage was 1874, and in March
S02 per cent. We had no strike in
the latter months Much Of this added
percentage is due to expenditures de-
manded by new laws and orders, and,
as YOU know, the interstate COM
merce commission has held we can
not charge higher rates TO obtain
more revenue. We have 20 per cent
OF our motive power in the shops. and
our earnings are running short Of
those OF last year at the average rate
OF $1,000 a day.
What the railroads need is to be
the laws on the statute books, and we
do not care to criticize them but we
ought TO have an opportunity to ad-
Just our affairs 10 changed conditions
before additional new laws and or
ders are saddled on US. The present
conditions make It difficult for the op-
Grating departments, and put US in
bad with the stockholders and direc-
tors, to say nothing OF the patrons.
The situation. II strikes me, is one
calling for astute business men in the
executive department. and it makes
little difference what the executive
knows about the physical properties
OF a railroad, or whether he can tell
a pilot from a switch frog
Mr.. Galloway and F. G Griffith. for
the other Baltimore & Ohio proper
ties operating in the state. asked that
no increase in the assessment be
made, as did T. ]. Frazier of the Balti
more & Ohio and Chicago. The Grand
Rapids & Indiana made similar re
quest.