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Show HOCK ISLAND FAMILY f ENJOY ANOTHER 1 Reid Said to Be Selling 0u With Idea of Dropping Con-$S-nection With Road. NEW YORK. Jan. 5. Reporta of frlol,.1 tlon among lending Interests of thy Roof, Island company, rumors that Daniel uP1,', Kcld was to go abroad, and that hi' would retire from tho hoard of director!?'11 of tho United Sintos Steel cornoratlom-' caused a break of 7 points In tho comaX1 mon stock of that road today and a dt cllno of more than three points In thi preferred stock. Tho financial district had heard a greatF! deal about Rock Island since tho .vmaaX--- T f mini n-.l)Viinnnl In tho utonlr n fnHnl.iJ'. ago. when it jumped from i"0 to SI an4'f' back again almost in u flash Later oiSflf eratlons. In that and allied sccurltlai;' tinve not allayed the alarm then c rent el'-5 5 Today's . rumors had It that aerlouiti differences h;d broken out among thoil--who control the Rock Island, and an ono! breach was hinted at. These wore dilrti iiled In responsible quarters, but tho onow inoiis volumu of Hock Islnnd stock iudMj 'd In. 230.000 shares, nt steadily decroaajvs, lug values, caused many mlsKivhigs, thfv more so since much of trie selling secra"iC .0 emanate from Rock Island brokers, ftlft Another factor was the failure of itiffr director:! to pass tho preferred stock dlvfcBl idend. This stock has paid no divldenf 1 in several years. ji 1 Reports that Mr. Reld. one of the mosifp nomlnent of tho Rock Island group. con&J lemplated an early departuro for EurorjJv were denied at his office. Wi Traffic in Heavy. 1 "Our traffic is good.'' recently Bald a frr official of the Rurllngton. "Grain movi Z ment- Is increasing and there arc pro ti fiects of a continued enlarpement. Col vj weather has made an Increased deman " for coal. Merchandise traffic Is goo We are getting new ears and cnRlnca a Ij the time, nnd while wc aro short of cai f m the Chicago division we arc well flxW) lsewhern. In Nebraska the demand tmO ars to move grain has Increased 100 pJr ent. The movement of trains has bet telnyed by cold weather, which has n f lueed tho capacity of engines, lo nbout I E. er com of their rating." ; "Our traffic is heavy, especially In mil llaneous freight.'' said an official he Atchlfon. "West-bound movcmoi f merchandise is large. Coal Is movln ?J n largo volume nnd we nre having aj-we aj-we can do to take care of thnt trafft We also anticipate a better movement f1 grain. Shipments of California fruits I the east are Increasing," ; ' "Grain movement for export at 11 gulf Is heavier." said an official of tl Illinois Central. "There Is also a Jural Al tonnage neaneci lowam vjniengo. ju shortage of cars Is more marked whin w Is attributed to the cold weather, whin .: prevents lnovlng of trains as heavy 1 L,i under ordinary conditions. Thcro 13 & increased movement of merchandise aU j' C0"The Hock Island Is handling rtn li creased business." said an official 1 v. that system, "and we arc short of ca! for moving grain and merchandise. A J; Increase In the loadings of grain will gh ti us better hauls from tho west. Mlaca 7? laneous business Is heavy." ? "Our traffic has Increased the la Uo. week." says an official of tho Ne-rt western. "Cold weather, whllo reducli tho efficiency of the engines. Jiaa ei sr; larged thp movement of grains. ! 'Wo have no surplus enrs,' said I J official of the St. Paul, "and our.lwJSTTr ment of nil khulB l working to Ita mSm capacity. Our business Is larger thMf Jor several years." II Oar Orders Stop. 9 For the first time In many mon v there are reports of a sharp decline m orders for railroad cars and locomotlvi g( Practically all of the builders aro Wi fllle-d with business, and their ordersw P. run them for many months. Accordl K to local authorities, the railroads aro, V tlio market for less than 10,000 cars m this tlmo. , , , - ; Thcro are four principal rca.so..s for t, 14 present lull In business. First, t at sweeping demands for Increased wagflll and shorter hours by employees throuBpj out the country: second, that Me HM-roads HM-roads want to kr.ow more about y.l congress may do beroro epondlt e monev for equipment: third, that huVW ert. as a rule, cannot supply ccrs, some time ahead and there Is A.'wMcS sit Ion to refrain from ordering. oxmm higher prices under these condUloi. fourth, that tho railroads pmctIcnhV lc-purchased lc-purchased equipment freely Jnst PVW-and PVW-and during the summer, not only for ijw mediate use, but also for a future xm quiromont. on account of tho low priof then prevailing, and pow Vmt,prj'fSL nearly up to the normal level, tnerej no especial Incentive to mako Iliri-rn purchases at this tlmo. 'JK |