Evening star., 1925-06-15
v. R. &E. DIVIDEND
TO Be DISCUSSED
Directors Will Meet in Spe-
cIaI Session Wednesday and
Urge Common Payment.
BY CHAS. p. SHAEFFER.


Directors of the Washington Rail
way and Electric Co. viii hold a spe-
clal meeting on Wednesday afternoon
OF this week at 3:15 o'clock for the
purpose or giving consideration to a
cash dividend on the common shares
OF the company.
Rumors of back dividends on the
common shares have literally filled
the local financial atmosphere since
Ihe carrier was awarded half the i'm.
poundage, or about $4,000. 900. six
months ago. but officials of the com.
pany today. for the first time. ad.
mltted Wednesdays meeting was for
this ali-absorbing purpose.
Amount of the dividend. if an.
proved, would be pure and simple
guesswork to those not on the inside
ana no indication of It's to-be-recom.
mended size can be gained from ret
tcent officials and directors I. ie
a matter of public record. however
that 26A per cent accumulated from
1919 to 1923, lean years, when no dis
Dursement was made on common
snares. This sum still remains due
TO common shareholders although
the issue resumed dividends at the
rate or per cent per annum in the
summer of 1928
A new high record for all time on
the common stock was established the
latter part of last week when shares
sold at 124k. This figure represents
an ADVANCE of about &c points IN the
year 1t having opened in 1925 at eSas
Truck Plan Favored.
In the opinion of the mana cement
the public interest will best be served
oy having package freight between
intermediate points handled as far as
nv
oy freight trains" This simple state.
1neHl Is taken from the Pennsylvania
railroad announcement of the adon
tioH Oh a policy of far-reaching i'm
portance both to the railroads and to
the truck industry. Motor trucks as
competitors with the railroads wera
ioreseen as problem to be faced.
motor trucks as cooperating agencies
Oh the railroads is the answer that
was supplied.
Ihe Pennsylvania system has es.;-
effected a saving in operation ex7
Penses OF over half a million dollars
for hght or package" freight over
snort distances, the truck is probably
the most efficient method of trans
portation. For bulk freight over n
Ions distance the railroad is Quicker
ano more economical. The average
Ireight train load is about 700 tons
MH.cn the railroads carry at the rate
- cents per ton mile. 1t would
take ~ trucks to carry the same load
ana the cost of such a fleet would he
prohio1tiVe as compared with the one
Irelsht train In addition, coal is a
chaper fuel than gasoline.
Lee Urges Coordination.
Ensha Lee, vice president of the
pennsylvania System, stated recentj,-
some see In the motor car a great
m Im5,enace 10 the future of our railroads
| personally, l do not II is trre tbs,
motor cars have taken very annrAci :
aoie amounts Of certain kinds of ira f7r
! from the railroads and will proha hlv
| TAKE more In the future. The real nrob-
| lem Is one OF coordination rather tbaD
! Oh competition. The railroads will tend
more ana more to become sp4cisIjsts
in the long-distance mass TRANSPORTS.
tlon both in passengers and in freieht
while the motor cars will snacis1i-ss a., a.,
the shorter hauls and lighter Ioa5e
ana on the routes requiring mora fire.
quent stops
On shorter hau. therefore. tba
motor truck will take the lead and
must become more and more an in
.esral part of eveF railroad systenn
Inc slsnincance of his to the motor
CStII ne TGa0llV a
ciated. Thirty-three railroads ~ ~.
United states and Canada are now
using trucks as part of their service
ana II would seem logical that this is
| only start.
Today's Local Market.
An advance of fractionally more
tnan Two points to 348h in Riggs
National Bank stock featured tradI1p
on the local exchange this morning
| me security was in good demand, a
total OF 20 shares changing hands
Trading was well diversified. Rail
way preferred stock sold at SO. Amer
lean Security and Trust in odd lots
at $50, and 10 shares of District of
| Columbia Paper at 81. Capital Trac.
| ton stock was firm at 96a4 to 97&
and fractionally higher. as was Gas
at SO to 5eh
Bond trading was confined 10
utilities at strong levels.