Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 112, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1904 — THE RAILROADS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE RAILROADS

Upward ot J,.000 miles of branch lines in Italy are worked with limited service and at a loss. Extensive and substantial additions are being made by the Texas and Pacific railway to the large shops at Marshall, Tex. The Canadian Pacific has announced that storage will be charged on goods in freight houses after seventy-two hours. The Canadian Pacific has arranged to increase its common stock by $20,000,000 to meet various extensions and betterments. Railroad property in Georgia has increased in value $2,107,203, according to the official returns of Comptroller General Wright. Nearly 2,000 employes of the Vandalia Line have thus far participated in the company’s free excursions to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The system of libraries and reading rooms established by the Santa Fe railroad for its employes is an interesting experiment in welfare wbrk. Lines running into St. Louis report unprecedented passenger hauls to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, leading to repeated calls for more equipment. Between 1801 and 1003 the amount pnid by the railways of the United Kingdom for rates and taxes was practically doubled, advancing from £2,240,TM)0 to £4,488,000. Announcement is made that the Canadian Pacific has closed a contract with the United States Steel Corporation and the Pennsylvania Steel Company for 60,000 tons of rails. The New York, New Haven and Hartford is to spend $8,000,000 or more for improved rapid transit from New Y’ork City to the Bronx and that part of Westchester lying along the Sound. Chairman J. P. Brown of the Georgia railroad commission is declared by Southern newspapers to be in favor of a reduction in passenger fares within Georgia to a maximum of 2 cents a mile. The proposal of a number of American railways to assist in establishing a department of railway science in n prominent college hffs been strongly indorsed by, Walter G. Berg, chief engineer of the Lehigh Valley. The Vandalia Line has decided to run four special trains to St. Louis to givo )ts employes free transportation to the World's fair. About 5,000 employes, it is expected, will take advantage of this liberal offer. Owing to the numerous forgeries of passes on the New York Central railroad a new pass form has been adopted by the officials of the road, who believe that hereafter forgeries will be practically impossible. Each pass will be limited to carry one person only and none will be issued for a party, except as Individuals.