New-York tribune., 1918-05-27
Railroad Building Is Likely To
Come to Halt During the War
Bulk of Approved Capital Expenditures Will Be Used for Ad
ditions, Bettements and Equpment-Year Of Deficiency
Handicaps Programme Of Upbuidmg

tration to see that the work is car
ried out if it is possible to do so.
Of the appropriation made it will
be noted that only 100000 appor-
toned among thirty-eight roads has
been allowed for extensions, and in
only eleven cases has more than
$500,000 for any one road been ap-
proved. This would indicate that the
administration does not feel that it
can do much to promote additional
railroad building during the war, but
the bulk of the money is divided
among additions and betterments and
equipment, $440O 100000 for the for
mer and $48O,O0O,O0O for the latter.
The greater part of the additions and
betterments approved are on the
eastern lines, where the heaviest
traffic is being concentrated, and it
is known that the bulk Of the items
include additional yard tracks and
additional shops and engine houses.
These are things which the expert
ence of the past winter demonstrated
that the railroads were greatly in
need Of, and, while the additional
tracks will enable the roads to ham
die their traffic more expeditiously
and without congestion, the addi-
tional facilities for the repair of To-
comotives will help to enable the
roads to keep a much greater pro-
portion of their power in service.
Last winter a great deal Of the
trouble was caused by the fact that
engine house facilities were made
quate; engines could not be repaired
with sufficient promptness, and
great many were being kept in SER
vice because of the pressure of busi-
ness when they ought to have been
in the shop. The item Of $48O,0OO,-
600 for equipment is made up from
the estimates Of the roads and what
they require; and will include pay
ment for whatever each road is al
lotted of the 100000 cars and 1925
locomotives ordered by the govern
ment. The cost of the government
cars has been estimated at from
S250,000,000 to $30O,000,0OO and of
the locomotives at approximately
$60,000,000. The item also includes
payment for any cars or locomotives
ordered by the railroads last year
and as yet undelivered or unpaid for.
Practically no cars or locomotives
have been ordered this year except
those ordered by the government, and
it would seem that the government
orders, together with the old orders
of the railroads, would consume all
of the $480,00O,000 authorized with
out any additional orders.
Higher Costs a Factor
In Authorization
While the approximately $1,00O,-
600 now authorized has been taken
by many newspapers as fulfilling the
famous requirements estimated by
James ]. Hill in 1907, a little con-
sideration will show at once that a
billion dollars now would by no
means meet what Mr.. Hill had in
mind, because the same amount of
money now will not buy the amount
OF labor and materials it would in
1907. The newspapers have also
called attention to the fact that the
expenditures authorized are about
three times as great as those made
in any of the last three years. Meas
ured merely in terms of money this
is true, but measured in terms of
what the money will buy it is far
from true. In the fiscal year 1915
the capital expenditures of the rail-
roads were $310,0O0,00O, but the
average railway wage this year will
be at least 40 per cent higher than
it was then, the prices of equipment
will be at least 100 per cent higher
and the prices of materials will aver
age at least so per cent higher.
The additions and betterments made
and the equipment bought in 1915,
which were s310,ooO,OO0, would
have, on the basis of present wages