New Britain herald., 1924-01-10
SEES PROSPERITY FOR N. E. IN 1924
J. Q. Halliday Of New Haven Road
 Predicts Good Times

At a meeting Of the Lions club held
 in Odd Fellows hall last evening. J
 c. Halliday, superintendent of trans
 portation of the New York. New Ha- ven and Hartford railroad, was the chief speaker. Mr. Halliday said: If the railroads of the country are let alone and not hampered by state and
 federal regulations they will come out all right and I know that if the New Haven road is given a little freedom from such regulations it will be all right from all standpoints including 1 financial" Continuing he said that l the New Haven road starts the year 1 Of 1924 with its equipment in the best 1 condition it has been for number of years and if business conditions turn i out to be what most Of the business men throughout New England seem to think they will q great deal of traf- tic will roll over the New Haven line during the coming year.
 New Haven Road Statistics Nr. Halliday gave the statistics of the road as follows: Freight cars, 36,000: steam locomotives 1.250: Pull man cars. zoe; electric locomotives, 1S0; gasoline cars, {; employees, $500; pay roll per year. sl0S,000, 1000; gross income per year. between 120 and iS0 million million dollars; miles of track, 2,000.
 Conditions of railroads throughout the country have been bad for the past few years, according to MT. Hali- day, because of the war, lack of faci- lities and severe winters. He said railroad conditions last year, which were the worst encountered for a number of years. were due to three things: 1--shopmen's strike; 2-coal strike; 3--weather conditions. He said that whereas ordinarily coal is hauled during the summer months if was necessary to haul coal during the months of January. February and March last year and that due to state and federal regulations the coal trains were given the right of way over all others and thus caused an embargo on other merchandise. Mir. Halliday laughingly said that New Britain was well represented in the Cedar Hiil yards during most Of last winter.
 Urges Prompt Unloading
 He said that contrary to the gen eral belief the problem in the east is not the shortage Of cars, but to get the consignee 10 be prompt in unload
 ing his shipments. He said that as a general thing there is q car surplus in New England
 At the present time the railroads are striving to schedule more through freights and passenger trains and If the manner in which the few that have already been scheduled is being patronzed is a prediction for the way
 in which others will be patronized tt number Of through trains will be scheduled by all lines throughout the country
 In closing Mr. Halliday said that New England should have g prosper ous year as it is well supplied with coal. the railroads are in good shape. {. and SO far the weather conditions i have been favorable to all concerned. !
 Crawford Adams, noted violinist. . and a member of tho Lions club Of . Boston was present and rendered a number Of musical selections which . were well received.
 OFicers Elected
 Election of officers for the coming year was held with the following re- suit: President. W. l., Goldwaitc; vice president, r. r. King; second vice. president. Stanley Tracesk: third vice president. George Prentice: treas urer. Frederick MeCufnber. secretary, James F.. O'Bricn; assistant secretary, II. F. Hancock. lion tanner, Willard oguist: tail twister Dr. Joseph Potts; directors for three years, W. C. French and C. N. Buckley.
 A number Of guests were present at the meeting including the traffic bu-