The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-04-14
Says Ii Would BE Prosperous
System if Operated Without
Chicago Terminals and
Eastern Connections
ATTACKS FIGURES
SUBMITTED BY FELTON,
IL Can Make You Beautiful Set
on Anything You Want"
Says Former Official

William d. Trump. manager OF The
Detroit Terminal railroad, and con-
nected with the Flint 4 Pere Mar
quette and the Pere Marquette rall-
roads for nearly 80 years, being gen
y eral superintendent OF the Pere Mar
Quette for several years prior 10
March. 1912, told the legislative IN
vestigating committee. Saturday morn
ing, that the road has been making
y money on It's passenger trains undei
the two-cent fare law, and that, op-
Grated as a Michigan road, without
the expensive Chicago terminals and
its eastern connections, II would De
prosperous system.
Mr.. Trumps testimony contradicted
that OF President FELTON,. offered Fri
day. Mr. FELTON, claimed that the road
cannot operate protitably under the
two-cent fare law, and produced
figures designed 10 prove It,
Il can make you Il beautiful set OF
figures on anything you want. but the
question would be, are they according
to actual conditions said Mr. Trump.
He explained that the primary tFafhc
of the road Is freight: that the pas
senger trains are. in large measure,
subsidiary: that the road would stlii
be there even If they were not 10 be
operated: aud that consequently II is
not fair To charge TO passenger SER
vice the large proportion OF expense
that Mr.. FELTON, attributes to il.
/ I'm my opinion. those figures are
yalueless even though they were
made by Mr.. Felton," said MIR Trump.
They were made according 70 the
4 PENNSYLVANIA railroads formula, in
teriected Seward l.. Merriam. general
solicitor for the Pere Marquette.
81 don't care what formula was
used" replied Mr.. Trump. There Is
no deficit in the passenger earnings.
as I figure IT, | should say the pas
Senger business Is worth 81 0oO,Opo
year to the road, even at present
rates. II would be we'll TO ask Mr..
Y FELTON, the purpose OF his figures
whether they aim at dlscontinuing
trains that do not come up to that
standard, or whether they are merely
for publication purposes.
"Then you think" said Senator WIZ
4 liam Nj. Smith, that business can De
conducted under the twocent fare
law at profit?"
II think So" Mr. Trump answered.
>'Other roads are doing 1t. I'm not
here to argue for low fares, but TO
give my honest opinion. The Pere
Marquette is in better shape 10 earn
money than the Ann Arbor, in as
Eood shape as the Grand Trunk, ana
In better shape than the Michigan
Central, taking that road as an entire
system"
- "How do you account for the de-
fcits?" asked Lieut.-Gov. Ross.
~ Because the road Is trying 70
handle business that is Improbable.
K was the reply. IF the through busi-
( mess was confined TO that across Lake
Michigan, and the local territory was
developed to its fullest extent, the
road could make money-but not on
its present fixed charges"
IN Mr.. Trump said that the average
passenger earnings for 1911 were
more than 81 train mile. and that
6he had always figured that il the earn
.tngs were 20 cents, the service was
paying expenses.
G He gave the history OF the track
and equipment from the time OF the
generalization with the c.. II. & ID.
Gives History Of Road.
AT that time the road was in fair
Wy good shape" he explained. Sub
stantial improvement were made in
19001901, under the .craDo-Heald
fregime. Under the Prince-Erb ad
4 ministration, 1902-1905, the amount Of
new track laid was entirely In
adequate to keep the road in condi
ton. At the end of 1903, the motive
power was In very bad condition. Re-
auctions were made at the cost OF ser
vice. Considerable new equipment
was bought by Mr.. Carpenter. includ
Ing 1000 box cars. but they were OF a
type that was too long and too low
for Michigan requirements, such AS
the Grand Rapid furniture business.
Il protested, and so did Mr.. Patriarche.
and change was made In 500 OF
them. The roadbed was not in good
condition In this period There were
poor ties, poor rails. and insufficient
labor.
Under the Harmon receivership.
\ enough ties were bought and enough
labor engaged to keep the track In
good condition, but not enough new
rails were purchased. President Cot
ter bought 1000 new box cars and
1000 coal cars, but these We're not
enough to bring the equipment up 10
the demands OF the business Mr.
Cotter spent all he could get on
track. and improved II each year"
III There was a long discussion as to
the Pere Marquette's rails. Mr.
Trump said that some are still IN
use that were laid In 1887. ranging III
weight from 35 to 81 pounds.
We have had some trouble with
Wrecks due to WORKOUT steel" ne
bald. The average life OF steel rails
sbought at present. he said, was 10 20
~ years. He testified that the road
- now taking out steel which has
not been used 10 years-rsils ordered
BY Mr.. Harding according to pat
tern used on the Great Northern. lie
said that they were not giving proper
cDervice, and that many had broken,
but he could not tell whether this was
/ue to the design or not
Between 1901 and 1904. $19,141.0O0
was added to the funded debt-was
there . corresponding increase In the
value Of the property asked Mr..
Hooe.
7 don't think So" Mr.. Trump re-
,ol1od.
-Bstveen 1904 and 1907, the In.
1DoDo was S12.000,000. Was there q
Dooponding increase in the equip |