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Railroad Management The New York State Engineer—Silas Seymour—in his report, dated the 15th ult, imparts some very excellent advice regarding investments, and the management of railroads He says :— " Disinterested parties should never be induced to invest in a railroad enterprise without first making an allowance larger than any limit yet ascertained, for exaggerations in the reports of engineers, and statements of other parties, who have either already invested or are to be benefited by its construction" " The road and outfit should always be of the firstclass, and kept in perfect condition" " The control of the operating department should always be in the hands of men of sound judgment, large experience, and inflexible honesty" " The true and only reliable source of revenue and profit to railroad companies is the local business natarally pertaining to the country and towns through which the road passes, or at which it terminates This business should always be encouraged, by doing it upon the most reasonable terms, and to the satisfaction of those who create it" This is good and muchneeded advice, for some of our railroads, in their stupid management, act upon opposite maxims Instead of encouraging the local business of towns along the lines, especially in passengers, they actually discourage it Thus the New York and Erie Railroad charge three cents per mile on way trains, running at the rate of thirteen miles per hour, and only two and onefourth cents per mile on express trains, running at the rate of twentyfive miles per hour This policy of management is "penny wise and pound foolish" " The expenses of operating wellmanaged roads are generally from fifty to sixty per cent of their gross earnings" " The wear and tear of track and machinery are very nearly in the ratio of the speed of the trains ; therefore (within reasonable limits) the slower the speed the less will be the expenses, when considered with reference to the amount of business done" "The safest and most profitable speed is about twenty miles per hour for passengers, and ten miles for freight trains, and they should never exceed these limits except in cases of emergency" He complains of the reckless manner in which railroads are managed in reference to high speeds, and advises a reduction of it to a much lower standard There are 88 railroad corporations in the State ; the total length of track (double and single) in operation, is 3,576 miles ; the total expenditure in their construction has been $136,689,690 The foregoing extracts deserve attention We shall finish with the following one, which deserves to be written in letters of gold :— " The employs upon a railroad, who have business intercourse with its patrons or the public, should be men of integrity, gentlemanly manners, firm purpose, and unexcitable temper"
