Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-03-06


reduced the rate from Atchison to Col
orado State Line from $3.50 to 1888,
| there were but few local passengers be-
tween those two points, but it caused us to
receive less proportion of the through
rate, and our connections received the
difference. Ins some few eases the through
rates were reduced to and from foreign
states by reason of the reduction in
Kansas and the general community got
the benefit, but the reduction was not
needed, and not asked for. Did it do
Kansas any good thus to help her sister
States unsolicited? All this caused US
serious loss on foreign business but did
Kansas little or no good. If the legisla-
ture, instead of passing an iron-clad three
cent law, had passed 8 resolution
asking the roads to revise their tariffs
and make as much reduction as possible
IN the portions of Kansas having q large
local business, I think better results
would have been obtained for both the
people and the railroads.
1t may appear strange to you to hear
the fact, but as a rule the passenger busi-
ness as done on our main trunk lines in
the west is not profitable. On the New
York Central passenger business is made
to pay well at two cents q mile. The
enormous volume of traffic gives the rea-
son. Many of our Western roads run f.
ner trains at as great rates of speed, with
one fifth the number of passengers at an
average OF three cents per mile. On our
Western roads the passenger service is
largely used, without direct reference to
the cost in order to advertise and direct
and draw the competing commercial and
freight traffic to their line.
In 1882 the road earned nearly three
dollars in freight from its entire line in
Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, etc., to-
one dollar from passengers. The expen-
ses for doing the two classes of business
were not in the same proportion
Every dollar of the company's bonds.
and stock represents actual cash, or the
equivalent of cash, invested by the
owners, for which they are entitled to
lair returns. The company is not yet
earning a rate of interest nearly equal to
the interest being earned on other much
less hazardous enterprises in Kansas,
Colorado, New Mexico, &c.
In past years, while the road was in
its infancy, some of the counties on our
line voted bonds in aid of the road. For
those bonds they took in exchange the
company's stock, dollar for dollar If
they had held on to this stock until the
road got its head above water, would they
not to-day expect and demand fair re-
turn for thir investment in the road? If
through a want of faith in the road, and
in the growth of the country, they sold
their stock before it became valuable,
who but themselves are to blame?
We appeal to your sense Of justice and
to your sense of business right, and to
every prompting which should actuate
fair men in their dealings with one an
other, to give calm and full consideration
on both sides of this question. IF there
were no other and h1gner reasons, your
own interest should prompt a fair consid-
Grafton of this question, for Kansas is
more interested than any other State to
do Justice to the investments made on
this road and keep its business in the
channels in which it is now going.
In all business dealings between
great people and a great corporation,
there should be mutual forbearance ex-
hibited.
It is impossible for large railroad cor
pOratiOn to SO conduct the vast ramifca-
tons of it's affairs without sometimes
failing to do exactly the right thing.
The company endeavors to employ
good men who will do that which is
right to the people it serves. When they
fail in their duty, an injustice has been
done the company, as well as the public,
that failure Of duty the company will
remedy as soon as the facts are known.
The difficulties Of the situation are
greatly increased by reason Of the fact
that the railroad company is seldom
heard from, while q small army of so
called "Anti-Monopolists' are eternally
on the war path against the railroads. l
Is wonderful how quickly an anti
monopolist is created. The refusal of an
annual pass, or some similar demand, to
which he has no more right than fifty
thousand other people on the line, will,
sometimes within day, create bowling
anti-monOpolisto fthe strongest character
The next new dictionary may thus de-
scribe an anti-mCnOpOlist: ga person
who has failed to obtain some service or
gratuity to which he was not entitled"
Have not political questions been too
much intermingled in the past with these
transportation questions? Are not the
interest of the people best served by
preventing political questions from hav-
inc anv influence uDon these transDOrta-
ton questions? Such at least is the be-
lief of the Board of Directors of this
road, who direct the affairs of this COM
pany, and their desire and purpose Is to
have the officers and employees of the
road devote their entire time and ener-
gies to the legitimate business of the
company, believing that in the long run,
that policy will secure the best results to
the people and from the people.
Reviewing now the action recently
taken by the old Board of Railroad Com
missioners, and the line of action which
will be adopted by the company.
The last Legislature enacted a railroad
law, and under it, a Board of three
Railroad Commissioners were appoint
ed. One of the Board of these Com
miEsioners was unfortunately remov-
ed by death in December, 1888.
This left Board of two members, who
! have proceeded to act as though the
Board were a complete one. The steps
which they have taken in connection
with our line are given hereafter. The
powers which were conferred on the
Board by law are given in the following
/ terms:
Section Is. It shall be the duty of said