Show SENU t Ull1 Nt i UHOAD r Splendid Report of theBald win Works t 1 r i o Sr 7 1 < i i c 1 CONVERSE GIVES AHISTORY I i Before the Industrial fCommlssion Yesterday He Explained Why the j American Locomotives Were in Demand I mand Abroad and Under What Conditions I Con-ditions They Could Be Supplied to Foreign Eailroads Stubbs Denies I That Southern Pacific Will Build a Salt Lake Line notes Philadelphia Dec 19John H Converse Con-verse a member of the firm of Bum ham Williams Co which controls tho Baldwin locomotive works ap j cartel before tho Industrial conunls Flon today He stated that Ihp industry iag established in 1S31 and has cOn Ftantly and leulily grown until today the ioiks are the largest In the world The capacity of the plant Is 11 > 00 locomotIves loco-motIves a year oj practically four loco uiothes for each working day The capital employed Mr Converse estimated esti-mated at not Jcsslhau 10000000 About fW hands are engagcd at the works The foreign tradein locomotives he Mid ban been a steady growth for the last forty years AL first Mlwas con lined to Cuba and South America but In the last t wen tyfie years It I has extended ex-tended 1 10 the Eastern hemisphere Mr Converge gave us reasons for introducing in-troducing American locomotives abroad I thp possibility of earlier delivery prefer pre-fer ncc for American locomotive as to I ijpp I and detail and the question of I price Engines have been consti uctetl witness said at less cost per unit of weight than the ordinary foreign loco molls In answer to a question by Chairman Clarke Mr Converse said the wages of the firms employees are higher than those paid abroad In that case said Chairman Clarke hem cin you produce locomotives at Jess cost than the foreign product Mr Converse said he believed this fact to be due to the Industry and intelligence intel-ligence of the American worlcmen and the much larger use Improved machinery ma-chinery here than abroad As to the question of speed Mr Con ere stated that the substitution of Heel rails for iron permitted an Increase In-crEase of weight in engines which re pultcd in greater speed The Increase I in speed and capacity has brought about a reduction In the cost of transportation trans-portation and operating Regarding the tariff conditions Mr foiieisc said that owing to the Government Gov-ernment ownership system existing Inmost In-most foreign countries no difficulty was eor encountered in that respect The Industry he said was at present more prosperous than atany lima from 3S03 to 1597 L i Mr Kennedy asked the witness if any attempt had been mqdc to combine all the American locomotive wonks Mr onverse answered in the affirmative II but said the effoi was unsuccnsful His thin opposed the project and he did not believe locomotives could be built I at a lower cost if I such an Idea were iariled out I |