Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-14
CAR BUILDERS MEET
AT SHORE; TO HEAR
PREPAREDNESS TALK
5000 Railroad Men of United
States Convene in Annual Ses-
sion at Atlantic City-Big-
gest on Record
ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT

ATLANTIC CITY. June t4.-Prepared-
| ness, with particular reference to the part
| the railroads Of the United states would
| play in mobilizlng troops and prompt move
ment OF supplies in the event of an at
| tempted Invasion, is expected to be i'm
| portant topic before the annual Railroad
| Congress- which opens here today with
| the convention of the American Car Build
| ers' Association,
Upward of 1000 heads of the mechanical
| departments Of the greatest American rail-
way systems are here already and 1900
more are due to arrive. The Marlborough
BlenheIm Is headquarters for the conven-
tiOn. but railway men are thrOnglng all OF
the Boardwalk caravansaries. Canada and
Mexico are represented, as well as all of
the States.
d. Il. MacBain. Cleveland, president OF
the Master Car Builders Association and
L. w. Pratt, Chicago, president of the
American Railway Master Mechanics Asso-
citation, were among 200 delegates who ar
rived in the afternon in special from Chi
caRo Other officials on board included G.
e. Fuller, of the Union Pacific; A. "
Ayers of the New York Central; G. b.
Young of the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy; f. w. Brazier, New York Central;
A. Il. Manchester, of the St Paul; G. n.
Swanson. of the Santa Fe; H. T. Bentley, of
the Chicago and Northwestern E w.
Pratt of the same line; j. McMullen OF
the Erie l.. c. ord, of the Canadian
Pacific r. ]. Burns. of the Michigan Cen
trail and A. w Gibbs, ]. t. Wallis, D. F.
Crawford T. w. Demarest, j. NJ. Henry
and C. f. Thiee. of the Pennsylvania " r.
T.. Smith, Atlantic Coast Line j. w. Small
Seaboard Air Line j. A. Picher Norfolk
and Western; o. c. Cromwell Baltimore
and Ohio; f. A. Sweeley, Seaboard Air
Line w. L. Kellogg, of the NJ, *. and T.
f. F. Gaines of the Central of Georgia:
F. H. Clar, of the b. and o.. A. Kearney.
of the Norfolk and Western; C. II. Rae. Of
the Louisville and Nashville, and M. X
Barnum, of the b. and o., are among the
Southern contingent.
PRICES RESTRICT BUYING
While the convention will be the largest |
American railroad men have held in |
decade, because of the unprecedented pros
perity pervading the country. members OF |
the American Railway Supply Manufac- |
turers Association, here in large NUMBERS |
to play hosts to the mechanical CHIEFS and |
take such orders chance to conle their |
way. are far from satisfied with the sstua-
tion.
The reason lies in the fact that market !
prices for all kinds of raw materials enter
ing into railroad equipment are up from
so to 100 per cent. and railroad purchasing
with net revenues steadily |
are marking time in ordering
supplies. Many of the big roads have with
drawn inquiries for locomotives cars and
other equipment until the market manfests
n tendency to get back to normal Most of
the orders placed lately. 1t was stated at
the Million Dollar Pier convention ha, to-
day. were for equipment absolutely neves-
sary to enable the contracting lines to meet
demands.
Considerable Importance was attached by
Eastern railway men today to the fact that
New York Central operating income for
April was 35 per cent. greater than in 1915,
while Pennsylvania operating income in
creased nearly 40 per cent, with over
81, 100000 net available for dividends an in
,rease of S1,169.000 over April of last year.
Shortage of orders has not prevented the
railway supply manufacturers from setting
up an exhibit exceeding that Of all prior
years in spite of the fact that some of the
big supply firms are so busy turning out
war munitions that they are doing little
bidding for railway orders. Machine tools,