The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-11
RAILROADS WANT
Continued from Page 'one)

y labor, which In general throughout
the country and common to all In
dustry. Nevertheless the railr Dads
under present management are pre-
pared to furnish all the transporta-
ton which the existing plant can pro-
duce under any management
What the railroads do not ask
IL. They do not ask 100000 900
from the government or anybody else
at the moment They could not i'm
mediateiy invest II In plant and equip
ment II they had IL. because OF the
difficulty in getting labor and mater
ials That fgure represents, in round
figures, what ought to be spent In
! every year for several years TO bring
the American railroad plant up to
handle efficiently the growing traffic.
! About $500. 0oo 900 per annum on the
average has been spent a number OF
years for roads and equipment. which
! at present prices would be eduiva lent
/ to about one billion for road and
equipment.
-. They do not at this time ask
| for repeal of the antitrust and anti
pooling laws as relating to them, Tor
they do not consider ssch relief i'm
mediately necessary TO incrase uni
| fed operations The cooperative use
OF facilities will be continued In sucn
way as TO obtain maximum efficiency
The present system of voluntary uni
! acation IL adequate for this. No in
terest has declined. or will decline.
for selfish or other reasons 10 respond
TO the requirement OF the present CO.
operative organization.
What the railroads do ask:
"s. The Immediate appoints
rncpt Of a traffic officer to repre-
sent all important government
departments In transportation
matters. with whom the railroads
ran deaA to secure active govern
ment cooperation. the prompt
and orderly transportation OF the
government traffic and avoid the
excessive use Of preference or
ders. which congest traffic instead
OF facilitating IL.
- Most of the railroads neet
more locomotives Immediately and
enough new cars TO replace those
worn out There are approximately
ia.s0o locomotives and 1000 cars still
on order undelivered for American
roads. The railroads expect to pro-
vide tho capital Priority orders are
essential for prompt delivery of such
equipment.
Is. Approximately 1000 locomo
tr:vus and f5e.66e cars in addition q
Those now on order. are necessary roI
early construction to meet the re.
qulrements OF next year, This is III
more than the railroads usually re
quire every year. and at present prices
represent a cost OF Approximately
$500, 000. 600. While number OF th'
, railroads are able to purchase thei
:, quotas of such equipment without aid
4, lis apparent that because the United
States has necessarily occupied the In
vestment filled for war loans. as evi
. denced by the recent request of tn,
\ secretary of the treasury that no new
private fnancine shall be undertake
en- without conference with him, thu
| railroads cannot next year provid
Through their usual channels for tn
capital reqpirements for the acQuisi
ton OF equipment and other possible
additions TO plant. They invoke
therefore. the cooperation and aid o
the government through the treasur,
department and the federal reserv
board, to secure for them. on thei
own individual credit the new CAPITA
found by the government to be neces
ssry not only for enlargement o
plant but for renewing maturing oh
legations.
Immediate Rate Increase.
"s Immediate Increases In rates
as defined by the interstate eommerc
commissions special report 70 NEE
e Increasing operating expenses an,
. strengthen credit are necessary Il
{ Eastern territory. and may becom
necessary in other territories.
- Railroad men drafted to b
VIA a
s wee until actually needed for mill
q tary service
|. Senator Nawlands said he had bee
e busy ever since hts arrival in Wash
n ington in securing for the senate In
. terstate commerce committee all In
y formation on railroads and durin
this period he had been In confer
Il erce with the railway war board an
the legislative committee OF the In
: ferstate commerce commission, con
Q sisting OF Chairman Hall and Com
Q missioners Clark and Aitcheson. TIL
Q senator said after his conference wit,
q the president today:
:. "A fun discussion was had OF tn
= alternative proposals made by the In
: terstate commerce commission" bu
!. he refused TO say anything more abou
the meeting at the White House
A complete analysis of the sugges
tons OF the interstate commerce com
4 mission MS contained In its recent re
port. and OF the railway war board, a
shown In Mr.. Harrison's letter, wa
made by Senator Newlands
He added that the net income ap
plicable TO interest. dividends and sur
4 plus was In the year ended June 81
1915, nearly three hundred millions 4
excess Of the previous year and nearl
T two hundred millions in excess of tn
best year the railroads had had dur
r ing the past Ave years.
at is true" said Senator Newland.
that since that time the operatin
n expenses have increased as a result o
. the increased cost OF labor and sup
: plies. but II Ia probable that the ne
4 income for 1917 will be within $50.
3 100000 OF the net income of 1915
5 The deficiency is mainly In the East
2 nrn region, and II is in this regiol
mainly that Increases In rates are he
1 ing sought upon bulky and low rat
products, the rates on which, 1t !
8 claimed, were reduced to very loy
level during the period of active rom
petition. rebates and d'scriminatfo,
Q which preceded the period of regula
{ ton"
3 Desnite the fact that the railroad
said that no new legislation is neces
. sRry, Senator Newiands INDICATED tina