Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-07-17
P. R. R. PLANNED
EXPANSION, It SAYS
Project Halted, According to
Local Officials, Because
Of the Strike,

According to a statement issued
this morning at the Office or W. Nj.
wardrop, General Superintendent of
the southern Grand Division of the
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad system. the
strike Of tho shoprnen TO date has not
caused the company any serious in
convenience either in its general re-
pair work or the maintenance of the
regular passenger and freight sched-
ules. but the company goes on 10 point
out that Wilmington as n community
and the merchants IN particular are
tho losers by the movement now UNI
der way.
The railroad officials do not con-
firm or deny report brought 10 their
attention that there was probability
az the Pennsylvania Co. closing it's
entire shops az Todd's Cut and even
tually moving them from Wilmington
Their comment on this subject was
simply that there was always the
possibility Of such a step being taken
The most serious effect Of the strike
according 10 the viewpoint of the COM
pany'ss officials here result from the
enforced cancellation OF plans for work,
repairs and extensions and improve
ments hero which. they say. would
have resulted in a $4,000 monthly in
crease in tho local payroll. In other
words 40 extensive were tho plans for
the now work that a force Of new men
would have to have been engaged and
this number would have been sufficient
e. run the payroll up To $4,000 n
month moro than it now amounts to,
according 10 the company's statement
The company had planned these
improvements for somo time" their
statement sets forth. and their start
here would have been n big boom to
tho working men. their families and
business In general in Wilmington.
The launching of this additional work
was scheduled for July l. hut the pres
crt movement among the men. Of ne
oessity made IL impossible. Many ad-
ditional men would have been given
employment and would have brought
the force up 20 approximately tho
number employed before the retrench-
ment period was reached"
So far as the back shops are con-
cerned. that is all that portion Of the
Todd's cut plant outside of the round
house. the company claims they are
not an essential necessity here TO the
continued successful operation Of the
Maryland Division like the round
house is. The hack shop work is the
work OF heavy repairs. II was explain
ed and the improving Of equipment in
general.
THAT work is something which VIC
expand as our finances get better"
one railroad official stated today,
"and naturally we have 20 restrict /;
when business is not so good. II was
in line with this policy that we had
arranged before the strike to spend
an additional $4,000 per month in
salaries for the additional men who
would have to have been taken on in
the hack shops 10 handle tho ad-
ditional work that would have beer
provided In view OF the strike We
did MT DO this and IN consequence
that much money is withheld from the
regular business channels Of this city
into which u would have flown had
the project been carried through II
therefore means a greater loss 10 the
community than 20 anyone else The
work can he done later here or else
where OF course there is always tho
possibility Of closing down the shop.
altogether and this would he a per.
manent loss 70 Wilmington"
Nothing definite could he learnet
from the railroad officials relative e
the possibility Of the shops beine
closed and probably removed definitel,
from this city. That such would h,
done was persistently reported in ,hA
city on Saturday and yesterday.