Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 104, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 March 1920 — DEFERRED WORK ADDS TO RAILROADS’ TASK [ARTICLE]

DEFERRED WORK ADDS TO RAILROADS’ TASK

Large Capital Expenditures Required, Says Hines —Impossible to Do All Now. In order to keep pace with the growth of business and production in this country and the demand for increased transportation facilities an enormous amotfnt of railroad work must be done In the next few years which will require the Investment of billions of dollars of new money. This Is essential not only to maintain the railways at their normal high standard of service and efficiency, but also to make up for ordinary expansion and improvement needs on existing lines which were interrupted by the war and to a large extent deferred altogether. ' Railroad managers realize that even if the necessary new capital was available it would be practically a physical impossibility for the railroads to accomplish any large part of this delayed and accumulated work during the present year. Consequently the most vital needs of the railroads will receive first consideration in the plans for the Immediate future so that the public demands in the months of heaviest traffic may be served as efficiently as possible. Vast Amount of Work to Be Done. Walker D. Hines, Director General of Railroads under government control, emphasized this task facing the railroads after their return to private operation in a letter to Senator Albert B. Cummins, chairman of Senate Interstate Copimerce Committee, and Representative John J. Esch, chairman of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Bommeree. Mr. Hines presented this phase of the railroad problem to them in urging the necessity for pressing the railroad legislation and to point out that delay would "seriously impair the public service by virtually suspending improvements and the acquisition of equipment” “In order to keep abreast of the growth of I business In this country,” wrote Mr. Hines, “it is indispensable that railroads should continue to spend large sums in the acquisition of new equipment the enlargement and unification of terminals and the construction of additional and the enlargement of existing shops, engine houses, turntables, etc., and in the carrying forward of normal programs for the revl-

atoh of grades, construction of addl. tional main line tracks, longer and more numerous passing tracks, etc. “A vast amount of work now remains to be done,” he added, “which the intervention of the war has necessarily delayed and accumulated, and the result Is that during the year 1920 very large capital expenditures ought to be made to make up for the Interruptions inevitably due to the war and to prepare the railroads to serve adequately the Increased traffic throughout the country. “In the year or two prior to the beginning of federal control this work was largely afrested by the difficulties of securing materials and labor and also by the difficulty of securing new capital. During the year 1918 this work was largely restricted to things which could be promptly done and which would have a relation to winning the war and also restricted by the scarcity of materials. The result was that comprehensive programs for developing the railroads were largely interrupted. “During the calendar year 1919 there has been unavoidably an almost com* plete stoppage of all these matters because of the prospect of early termination of federal control and the resulting Indisposition on the part of Com gress to make appropriations.” “The man who whispers down a well About the goods he has to sell. Won’t reap the golden, gleaming dollars Like one who climbs a tree and hollers.” Well, I am hollerin’. I have a carload of Buggies to sell. —C. A. ROBERTS.

An armload of old for a nickel at The Democrat offloa.