New Britain herald., 1915-12-30

lines have more than 5000 loads for delivery, mostly at New York and via the Poughkeepsie Bridge, as soon as this company can handle them.
 Comparison Of Roads.
 Tt is interesting to note that the New Haven, with 4,535 miles of tracks including main line running tracks, side tracks and yard, had, during the first eight days of December, 5O,- GIT new loads, while the c. B. & e. system, extending through ten states, with 12,S69 miles of trackage, during the same week had 4S,230 cars. These figures indicate how large the New England freight business is. In addi- tion, the passenger train service is much heavier than on a railroad like the c. B. & O., and makes the prob
 lem of furnishing transportation in
 sufficient quantity and of satisfactory quality under the present unusual and
 congested conditions that much more difficult. For reasons that need not be out
 lined in this letter the New Haven has not been able to add materially to it's facilities during the last few years, particularly during the last two, when the company has been going through a period of depression, investigation, readjustment and reconstruction of it's financial and corporate status. Inn provements have been authorized, not including equipment, which are being made as rapidly as men, material and weather will permit, that will cost nearly $5,0O0,000. Tn addition to this, very large sums should be spent, if money can be obtained for additions to tracks, bridges, terminals, engine facilities and motive power, both steam and electric.
 Equipment Much Improved.
 "In spite of financial troubles, the freight equipment of the company is in much better shape than it was 8 year ago. A year ago there were 4,S00 freight cars in bad order and now there are less than 1,600-a l marked improvement-and a number l not far from the minimum that may | be expected with 46,000 cars on the | road. The company has placed or l ders for B powerful freight locomo- | lives to be delivered in January and | February, and 500 coal cars which are 1 promised in March, costing about | $1,5OO,0oo.
 Water Lines Uncertainty.
 "The company has tried to relieve | it's rail lines just so far as it could | by diverting business to its boat lines, | but here again it has not been able to add to it's facilities because of the un- certainty surrounding the future of 1 the boat lines. The company consid- cred very seriously placing an order nearly a year ago for two additional freight steamers to run on Long Island Sound, but it did not feel that it had the right to borrow the large | sum of money necessary. considering the fact that within a comparatively short time the company might be or dered, under the Panama canal act, to dispose of all of its water lines. The relief, therefore, given by the boats is not as great as the company would like.
 There comes a time when the vol ume of business that is being done by a man, 8 steel mill. a hotel, or rail- road is more than the physical ability of the man or the enterprise to carry on successfully, and in such eases the ' part of prudence is to state the case frankly to customers and patrons and to explain why there is delay in fur nishing goods, accommodation of ser vice. It looks today, as if for the time being the New Haven road can do no more than it is doing and that it may have to withdraw temporarily from some kinds of business.
 "The management of the New Ha- ven earnestly hopes that the result of the efforts now being made on it's own road and on it's connecting lines will permit the present large volume of business to continue and that it will be necessary to put out so-called 'em- bargoes' and curtail service for only limited periods of time, but it feels that it should state to you the situa- ton that is confronting it at the pres~ ent time--a condition brought about by causes that are beyond it's control The management will be glad to re- ceive any suggestions from you who !