The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-09-04
S.P.PURCHASES
new EQUIPMENT

Sixty-fve new locomotives, costing
more than two and a half million dol
lars, are on order for the Pacific sys-
tenn lines of the Southern Pacific. ac-
cording to an announcement by VIM.
Sproule, president of the company,
who returned yesterday from New
York and other Eastern cities. Ten
of the locomotives are to be built az
the company's shops. This latest or
der brings the total expenditures for
new equipment by the Southern Pa
cific and Pacific Fruit Express, of
which it is half owner, to S24,500,000.
This great building program" saii
Mr.. Sproule, is evidence of what the
Southern Pacific is doing to make It's
facilities equal to the unusual demand
for equipment occasioned by the war
situation and general business expan-
sion
''The total number of freight cars
we have had built this year, or are
having built, reaches almost ten thou
sand, and comprises 300 boxcars, 1000
CARS, 1000 automobile cars, 400 gon-
dolas, 40 narrow-gauge fiatcars, 30
cabooses, and 200 modern refrigera-
tor cars for the Pacific Fruit Express,
One thousand of the Pfc. refrigera-
tors, as well as ten locomotives, are
to be built on the Coast.
There have already been delivered
to us under this program 1850 freight
cars and five mail and baggage cars.
The refrigerator cars will begin ID
arrive early in September. We have
now building in the East 800 oiltank
cars, IL locomotives and 20 baggage
and mail cars. We are about to start
on the construction of 3.240 freight
cars announced some time ago. and
his work will be done at home.
1T is very difficult during these
times to make any predictions as to
when equipment can be delivered, be-
cause the orders of our government,
and the governments of the Allies. for
ears and locomotives are being given
preference.
1--WE are making this expenditure
responsive to the needs of the present
emergency, although the prices of la
Dor and materials are the highest in
the history of railroading.
while the acquisition of this new
equipment will afford great relief to
shippers, ii must be borne in mind
tbaf aor cunnIv ic raaI1v a Taottar of
keeping cars moving to the West as
rapidly as they are moving to the
East No matter what quantity of
cars a railroad owns, it will always be
quickly drained of its car supply un-
less there is promptness in returning
the cars. II is like an endless chain,
cars moving out on the chain must
be replaced by cars coming in over
the same chain. Promptness with
which shippers use cars is the other
great factor in creating car supply"
Discussing the labor supply of the
railroads. Mr.. Sproule said that of
the 43,500 men at present in the serv-
ice of the Southern Pacific, nearly
draft and more than $500 had been
named in the first draft. 1t is not pos =
sible to tell yet how many men will
be drafted into active service"
aside from this" said Mr. Sproule,
I'VE are feeling the general shortage
of labor There are Just so many
units of labor available. The rail-
roads have to compete for this labor
with all other industries. and it is
largely a case of swopping EMPLOY
ment oft the attractions offered. In
our maintenance of roadway. bridge,
buildings and structures we are short
about $500 men. These figures are
without reference to the draft. Per-
haps when the crop season is over We
may get some relief by the return of
the men to railroad work. Our dispo-
sition is to employ men in places
where they can fit into our work"