The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-06-02
square miles territory.

AldDdlld 1900 Wv
Georgia --- -lZ.oo
:. Mississippi 9.56
1t will he noted that the Southern
States, have not quite half the rail-
z-pad mileage which the Northern
.SStases have, in spite of the fact that
"A Larger percentage of their land is
.caxable of agricultural development
and that climatic conditions would al
10 appear more favorable for the de-
vslo4ment of the Southern States.
Since 1880 the single track length
. Of railways in the South has been
INCREASED by 6s,73O miles to 93,596
vr7tes, a mileage greater than that of
shs whole country in 1880. There
usere built in the South 25,484 miles
xf railway between 1880 and 1890,
BE average of 2548 miles a year. In
.ehe next decade, embracing a period
of financial and industrial depres-
sicr, the average annual building
ws.s 1853 miles, and between 1900
HSlD the average was 1921 miles a
..yeAz. In the past four years 6506
miles have been built, or an average
&z 1927 miles a year. In tire past
1eg years 21,564 miles have been
ibuIlt, an average of 2156 miles a
YER. Those ten years have been
marked by wide fluctuations in the
annual mileage of railroad construc-
eisn in the country, and particularly
m the South, which, in proportion
10 the population, had in twenty-five
ye9rs after 1880 been a greater
railroad builder than the rest of the
r. Seuntry, such construction in the
South reaching 400 miles in 1902.
Since 1905 the greatest annual con-
::strnetion in that section was 1881
miles in 1907. In the following
gear, in consequence of the financial
depression of the winter of 1907-08,
4oply 1851 miles of railroad were
Sgjlt in the South, and the greatest
construction in any year since then
WIS 2048 miles in 1910, the amount
Df sRch work done in each year since
ag1D having been 1915 miles in 1911
26y7 miles in 1912, 1854 miles in
1913 and only Gil miles in 1914.
The fluctuations since 1907 do not
andieate that the railroad equipment
OF the South, even in the matter of
~Ingle-trackage, had by any means
REACHED its necessary limits, or that
'sIRlble-tracking, increased locomo-
live power, enlargement o. car I'd
parity and betterment of terminal
liabilities had reached suficiency.
Trey reflect the financial, economic,
xnaStical and social agitations and
.s>SSer manifestations which have
teEn so pronounced in this country
an The past ten or twelve years, and
liz elimination of movements which,
decreasing by legislation or other
astse the necessity for greater expen-
>shsares by the railroads, and, at the
an time, tending to reduce the in
VI of the railroads, had cultivated
among investors a spirit of extreme
f>aYtion in investing in railroad en-
ssrprises. The result has been the
Inability not only to uricrtaka en-
EGely new railroad construction, but
:sasa to maintain existing facilities at
frhelr maximum. In an address at
Birmingham last week United States
Senator Oscar w. Underwood epito-
sxGyed the situation from the stand
yrisnt of an expert in legislation
sstlen he said that the country is suf-
ferlng under the present system of
iznrertainty and ever-threatening in
with railroad operations,
zABd added:
This problem of transportation