The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-12-12

to Carlton. involving a total
expenditure Of $1,4S8, 100000.
improvements to shops, engine
houses and appurtenances, amounting
to a total of $2,965,OOO.OO, call for
special mention.
Many Station Improvements
AS to passenger stations, we are
constantly approached by the live and
active communities along our line not
already taken II of, for improve
ment in facilities Of this character
They are of course not productive
of additional revenue except where
at competitive points they may re
suit in producing more friendly pub
Tic feeling. Expenditures of this
character during the next three-year
period, if the funds were available
would easily reach $750,O00.O 900. The
improvements made to the Bozeman
station are included in these figures.
West of Spokane the Northern Pa
cific uses annually large quantities
of ice. Climatic conditions are such
that natural ice within reasonable
hauling distance is practically unob-
tainable in the quantities desired.
This has n~ecessitated hauling ice to
western points from points as far
east as North Dakota, and IN some
cases, Minnesota. Comparative fig
ures on the average cost of natural
ice as compared with artificial ice
indicate that we can make a saving
of $130,00O.O0 per year by the con-
struction of three plants for the man
ufacture of artificial ice at an estimat-
ed cost of $650,000.00.
The continual demand for heavier
and more economically operated To-
comotives, additional and improved
freight cars, steel passenger cars,
and improvements to existing equip.
ment, chargeable to Capital Account,
based on our past experience, will
for the next three-year period be
approximately $22,000.0O0. Every
railroad is continually striving to re-
duce its operating ratio, and the in
PRODUCTION of heavier and improved
locomotives with their large tractive
effort enables US to reduce substan-
TALLY the number of trains required
to handle a given amount of tonnage
For this reason it is found econom.
zeal on many districts, as already
indicated, to retire the lighter power
and purchase the heavier power nov
available. The improvements made
in locomotive designs, such as auto
matte stOkers and super heater units
result in substantial economies, anC
it has been found advisable to re
model many of the older locomotive
by the introduction of these improve
ments.
ADDED Rolling Stock
Summarizing the items shown Oh
the exhibit introduced they call fo
a total expenditure of $56,949, 100000
t This is a large sum of moneys
5 large in fact that unless condition
= improve the Northern Pacific will no
| be able to finance all or perhap
= many of these improvements. 1t /
to be noted, however, that thougl
r the amount is large, it is not sub
/ stantially out of line with the regu
, lar improvement program Of the rail
. way, as shown by a second state
: ment, which I will offer in evidence
n showing the net expenditures for ad
= ditions and betterments, covering tn
period March l., 1920, TO Septembe
80, 1928. This statement shows ths
t during the period in question we eS
= pended s15,172, $685. 81 for improve
n ments to fixed property, and S1S
227, 326.22 on u equipment. Thi
c equipment item, I may add, is inaC
curate in failing to include the sum
of $2,378, 144.35 paid for 1000 ant
5 mobile cars, 800, 97S.43 paid on Is
stock cars, and $255,O78.78 paid O
: 70 passenger refrigerator cars. Thes
latter amounts are financed throug
e an equipment trust. and it was du
e to this fact that in the hurried pre-
aration of this statement the az
a counting officers omitted the:
charges from the statement. tt
it three items mentioned make a tot
of $2,794,21O.56, which should be al
-e ded to the amount shown rs haviT
d been paid on equipment since MARI
6 1, 1920.
We still have in progress a nun
Der of substantial improvements, al
on many other items the charg'
< have not yet been entered on Of
lie records, although the work has be'
TT completed. We estimate that at t
1T end of the current year we shall ha'