Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-29
ATLANTIC COAST LINE
ORDERS ESQ BOX CARS
Road Prepares for Expected Revival
In Traffic During Present
Year.
ABOUT RAILWAY NAIL PAY
Question Will Again Come Before
Congress in Observation-Disclosures
Hone to Secure Cooperation in
Securing REIMBURSEMENT.

Tho Atlantic Coast Line has placed
an order for $50 ventilated box cars
with the Mount Vernon Car and Foun-
dry Company Recently the Coast
Line ordered ten new locomotives.
principally for freight eervice.
The roads officials are looking Tor
ward to a revival in business during
the new fiscal year, President ]. r.
Kenly said few days ago ahe sne
additional equipment will put the Coast
Line in position 20 handle the in
creased traffic.
: The weekly earning reports OF the
Southern continue TO show a decrease
= with the same periods last year For
the third week in August the earn
ings are given as follows: this year
N.l7t,440: last year. sl.3l2.224; dc-
crease. Sl37,1St.
The railway mail pay question VIII
again come before Congress at me
December session." said X. RI. Snead
OF the Chesapeake and Ohio. yesterday
THE Railway Business Association
Which Ia composed Of manufacturers
Of railway material and equipment.
contractors in railway construction and
dealers in miscellaneous railway sup
plies. has issued n bulletin addressed
to United States Senators and Repre-
aentatives In Congress. entitled Rail
way Mail Pay and Public Opinion
The association operates in indepen-
dence Of the railway managers In all
matters IN which the public Is inter
ested and exercises its own discretion
as to whether or not the railway view
on any given subject shall be advo-
Gated by 1t. The bulletin takes the
position that the government. which
requires that rates OF transportation
IN, 81 tn hinn hpl ha
and that practices OF commercial cor
porations shall be fair should free
It's own procedure from all suspicion
OF unreasonableness and unfairness.
The bulletin says that Justice can
best be done in this important matter
by dealing with IL separately: IL should
not be made a rider Oh an appropria
tion bill left to the crowded end OF n
session. Members OF Congress should
be familiar with the subject when they
reassemble next December.
' Mail pay ought to be adjusted ac-
cording TO some fair standard fairly
applied II ought not TO be affected
By the Post-OTice Department balance
sheet: the roads should receive not
what the department is willing TO pay
them, but what the service is worth.
Commercial value should be the stan
dard, and Congress should lay down
for guidance OF the administrators
OF the law the rule that compensation
shall be equivalent 10 what private
shippers would pay for similar SER
Yice. Congress could not hold the
roads down TO the lowest possible limit
by the exercise OF sheer power. but
should act literally.
The fixing of rates and measure
ment OF service TO be paid for at those
rates under the statute should be sub
jected TO review by some government
body directly interested in showing a
II
The PoStmasterGen is an inter-
ested party. He is Judged BY the de-
partmental surplus or deficit. He
should not, therefore. have final ar
bitrary authority over matters in dis
pute between the railroads and MS
department.
The amount OF railway service TO
be paid for should be determined by
fhe mea surement of actua! service per-
formed over test period and never
bv arbitrary estimate not subject 10
cheek up by the facts. Weight should
be :. factor as we'll as car miles and
should be taken at least annually. The
.o'a! man pay Tor each road should
he large enough TO include fair com
pensation for every facility furnished
and for every service rendered The
amount OF payment TO each road should
vary according to length and haul.
. speed and frequency OF mail trains.
' The present law ignores the latter
features although they are important
elements OF cost.
The bulletin endeavors SO far az
the question at Issue can be stripped
OF technicaiity. so TO strip It, and urges
upon business men that if they agree
with the propositions cnunciatcd that
they cooperate with the association
attention of Senators and Representa-
tiyeS."