Evening star., 1933-11-03
PENNSY AND ?. WA.
RAIL ELECTR|F Y|NG
PLANS SPEEDED Up
Legal Arrangements Being
Made for Line From New
York to D. C.
ALLOTMENT is SUBJECT
TO APPROVAL OF |. C. C.
Greatest Single on-Federal Public
Works Project of So, 100000 900
Fund.


available as Socn as possible the S84,-
100000 allotted late yesterday to the
the line between New York and Wash
ington.
The allotment, made in the form of
a resolution. is subject to the approval
Of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. lin so far as such approval has
not heretofore been obtained and sub
jeCt to execution OF a contract SatlSfac.
tory to the administrator (of public
works. between the United States of
America and the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Co."
10000 Jobs Seen.
The vast project, the greatest single
non Federal public works project to
come out of the S3,300,O00,000 fund
made available for Federal and nom
Federal public works, is expected to put
10000 men directly or indirectly on pay
rolls within four weeks.
merce Commission is regarded as
simple legal fornality which will cause
no delay ii getting the program under
way while no delay is expected in Sc
curing a contract between the r w. "A
and the railroad.
The railroad also plans, it was re-
vealed today, to electrify lines into
Potomac Yards and into other yards
around Washington, making COM
plete rectification of the Pennsylvania
system Of .trackage in and about the
District.
The Virginia Avenue Tunnel will be
considerably shortened to take care
of the electric plants
Just how much this work will cost,
outside of the Virginia Avenue Tur-
mel, could not be learned today, neither
the Interstate Commerce Commission
nor the Public Works Administration
having the actual breakdown OF figures
Pennsylvania RAILROAD officials at
Headquarters in Philadelphia were
uncertain as to Just when actual
work will begin, but gave assur-
ance that as soon as the legal bar
riers which now stand in the way are
cleared away an army of workmen
would be started pushing the power
lines for the electriflcation through to
the Capital.
Facilities for these lines now have
progressed as far as Relay, Md, just
outside Baltimore, under the slow prog
ress of the Pennsylvania old program
The impetus of the vast loan OF the
P. w. A. is expected to speed the con-
struction greatly, although no estimate
as to when the vast job can be COM
pleted could be gained from the Penn
sylvanias S Philadelphia offices.
While the principal part OF the money
will go for equipment, great amount
of the right-of-Way facilities farther up
the line having been installed, there IS
one great project that will directly al
feet Washington-the fitting of the
Virginia avenue tunnel for operation OF
electric locomotives.
For this Job S2,O41 600 has been set
aside from the $84,000,000. Other ten
tative ALLEGATIONS of the money include
S15.85O 900 for electrification equipment,
s16.525, 900 for 1872 electric locomotives,
s16.OOOOO for 1000 freight cars,
Sl,OS7 900 for % multiple-unlt cars,
S2,6l1,OO for widening the Pennsyl-
vania tunnel at Baltimore and S75O,0oo
for reconstruction of the Pennsylvania S
line at Elkton,. Md.
The money has been allotted with the
sanction Of the President after con-
sultation with the Interstate Commerce
Commission. The President took a
personal hand in the negotiations lead
ing I'D to the loan as an effort to slim
ulate employment.
The Pennsylvania project is part OF
a program which also calls for the pur-
chase of 1000 900 tons of new steel ana
400 900 tons of fastenings, including
spikes and cleatS. The rail and fasten-
ings purchases will total S5l 100000 and
will cover the 1884 requirements of the
railroads.
public Works Administrator Ickes
made it clear that this is starter on
the new P w. A. program for stinulat-
jng the basic steel and railroad INDUS
tries. Other railroad loans will be con-
sidered as they come up, and on their
merits, according to Deputy Admin
iStrator H. NJ. Waite.
The negotiations leading up to the
S135, 600, 900 allotment for the railroads
were conducted largely by Col. Waite
and Joseph B Eastman ram co.or1io I1aa
nator, in which President Roosevelt also
took a hand. During the extended dis
cussions between Government officials
and the steel industry heads. the steel
men held out for a price OF S3775
s35 per ton or under offer by the Gov
ernment. Monday the steel men ana
the Government compromised on
price of S36 375 and this price will be
paid.
To Use Eastman Funds.
Purchases of the Pennsylvania S
equipment will be made out OF the loan
allotted the railroad by Eastman, II
was indicated today. The railroad Will
rotifv the co-ordinator' office of the
materials desired and the latter. after
receiving competitive bids, will allocate
business in an effort to spread 1t
throughout the country to provide the
maximum employment in all sections
Col. Waite said the rail and equip
ment buying will affect almost every
State in the Union. 1T means ne
said, that coal, coke and materials
being hauled over the railroads and
blast furnaces in operation. There is
nothing which spreads money as widely
as railroad purchases.
Col. Waite stressed the fact that
this is the first attempt of the Re
covery Administration to break the
slump in capital goods.
In a supplementary statement. Mr.
Ickes said:
The first allotments, totaling $135,-
900 900. were made in realization of the
vast importance Of quick spending oi
money in wages and the resultant wide
spread purchase of materials which
may be accomplished through the pur-
chase of railroad equipment.
THE p w. A. wishes to expedite
this work so that railroads which are
among the country's greatest employers