The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-12-18
R.R0ADS.
STALL rHa a,VEaN4zHr OWN
THEN

tcJuistry, ANA tile bands Issued ldt Liteh
- purchase hy the government. there 'tr'
many other ways ia which "a cunaOli
8, dation of all Tie roads into tie lsand'
." of single management would ef1eci
= ii considerable reduction in operating
EXPENSES. This is we'll understood by
railroad meH aud is one of tlleir chief
arguments ia favor OF consolidation Of
ali the lines ia tie hands Of a railroad
trust-similur to tile whisky trust.
This plan has many advocates, but
as citizen, am in favor Of accom-
> I ftii5ltiitts tire s1suTe results 10y CoHOeH-
tratiug entire control in the hands Of
tie government, 50 that the saving
effected thereby may inure to the
benefit Of the public Instead If "a small
number of i.sdiyiJas,is accountable to
no one.
Some of The items of saving may be
readily pointed out and understood
without any great technical knowledge
Of railroad methods. Under the PIES
ent system, ia order TO prevent COM
petition and Consequent low eriHg oil
s.tcs, all the railroads LetweeH
EtLAaAhI4l points A-5A Az a Btsb4a az rs Dll
il certain rate of toll and divide the
business on Il basis agreed upon. For
Instance, out of the through business
| passing from Kansas City to Chicago,
u certain number Of cars must he
given to the Santa Re, Il eel tain mum
! Der to tile Rock Island, etc. Or the
luRny through lines between these two
,,nE1ts e.ay-.r.f .,v-.. much I,,,,--a.. d..
the S.ut,l Fc, WlIic:i is nearer AN air
| line than any Of the others. OF course
tie longer the liue Letwleu the two
points Tho greater the cost Of HAULING
IL given amount Of freight. This !
being true the through freight between
these points could he hauled much |
cheaper ov. Il the Santa Fe.ur amy other
air line, than over the Rock Island, /
Alton or other lines that are more or
less circuitOus. BtJ by tie rules OF the .
pool they must he divided up, entail .
ing ala addiiiOnui exi en5e 10 the pro-
Queer, for the lowest rate made b. tie .
pool must he ii late at Which tins
longest road can afford to take the
DLsiHess With a l.roGt.
II NA4G E1'FE4 A4AAACltL Wv ttCAl Hll u D
these rJa,Is, a.! through freight bust
ness would bo sent over the short est
line and AZ the smallest expense. The
Hole CiTcUitJUs r.Utes would only be
used for local business made up CII
the line y: tne road. In many cases
air lines Wonld be built for the pur-
pose of harding the through-freight
operation, and which, being longer,
could uot haul the through freight ;,
cheapIy, to handle simply their local
traffic. The government, not being
compelled To make any ono line pay,
but gathering the profits from all the
lines and operating the business as a
whoie, Wuuij concentrate ali through
business between. a certain point upon
:. single line, operated and managed
10 carry the through business with the
utmost dispatch ard economy: this,
relieving the longer lines from the
pressure Of through business, tor which
they are not adapted, would give better
local service.
Again, the government owning ali
lines could uau all The cIrs t, the best
advantage, and car f.,mines, involving
immense luss both to the shipper and
The roads would be Lbviated entirely.
During certain seasons OF the Year
when ON account Of moving the crops
Of IA particular section IL greater num-
bel Of cars is required, they could. in
advance, De concentrated there for
that purpose and when the strain was
over there, sent elsewhere To meet
similar conditions.
Again, the concentration of the
management OF all the roads into a
single bureau or department. would
lessen enormously tile Gust of manage
ment. An immense number of highly
saiarisd fsure-heads would he dis
pensed with. All advertising agents
and travelling passenger and freight
agents, whose sole business Is to solicit
for the road they represent share of
the traffic, would be discharged and :,
corresponding saving effected An
the costly agencies OF advertising and
soliciting that the roads have been
forced into employing to divert traffic
from its natural channels, would be
useless under the new system, aud
millions of dollars spent annually ia
advertising would be saved. The
railroads then beng owned by the
people, would cease to be Il fruitful
source of litigation. Thirteen mil
lion Of dollars paid in attorneys fees
by the roads themselves, in addition to
the sums paid by the opposing Iftiga-
ton would be saved. as we'll as the
sums spent each year for lobbying to
prevent hostile legislation or secure
advantage over rivals. Strikes and
rate wars, involving immense loss to
the roads, and no gain to their patrons
would be unheard of, for the eoudl-
lions that create them would have
eeased to-exist- /,