The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1893-02-16
nOJ5G DlLL 10. SO.
Reduction in Passenger Rates.

= 80
fed roads from three TO two, and from
four to three cents per mile, l wish
you to understand the bill is not in
troducel because of malice toward the
railroad companies. | am a friend
of everything that is of u progressive
character and | want every Legitimate
industry to have q fair and equal
: chance to thrive and return to the
4, men interested n fair per cent on the
capital invested. l do not claim any
thing for my bill on the plea of pow
erty or inability Of the people to pay
the present rate of fare. l base il
upon the broad and everlasting prin-
cipals Of eternal truth and justice to
all classes of our people, and special
~favors, to none and if l do not pre-
sent facts to justify my claim l do
not want you to send in a favorable
report on my bill. If you gentle
men will turn to page 104, article
u, section H., Revised Statutes of
Missouri, under the title of Corpora
tions," YOU will find this language,
''the General Assembly shall (not
may pass laws to correct abuses and
, prevent unjust discrimination and
eXtortion in the rates of freight and
passenger tariffs on the different rail-
roads IN this State, aud shall from
time to time pass laws establishing
reasonable maximum rates of charges
for the transportation of passengers
and freight on said railroads, and en-
force all such laws by adequate pen
altics." This law, and the present
rate of charges, were established in
1873, since that time, however, the
cost of rails has dropped from n
hundred and twenty-five dollars per
ton for common iron rails to thirty.
five dollars per ton for superior steel
rails. The cost Of bridge material,
rolling stock and many other things
that enters into railroad construction
and operation has fallen fifty per cent.
Even the wages Of the laboring men
o1 the track have been reduced from
one dollar and twenty-five cents per
day to one dollar and ten cents per
day. Agricultural products have
fallen in price. In fact there has
been a downward tendency in the
price Of almost everything. Money
Is twenty-five TO fifty pc. cent cheap.
er than IL was sevente"l years ago.
Along with this wonderful decrease
on the one hand, We fin on the OPP
posite side increased Atodutts Of
agriculture, Increased poopsatisn and
increased Importance of State, all
aiding to the receipts OF the railroad
companies, and yet no decrease of
passenger rates from those of
seventeen years ago. In 1891, ac.
cprding to the report of the Railroad
Commissioners, the earnings of the
railroads in Missouri for that wear
amounted TO $50, 0U3. $3.50 OF. OF this
amount ithe passenger service con.
tributed 50, lGS, 69l.06; freight ser.
vice, S2j,0S3 ,0l3.79; all other SER
vice, Sl,75l,9 $50. II. There IS in the
State =, l64 miles of railroad. Accord.
ing to the statement of the Railroad
Commissioners, there is Il net an
nual Income of Sl,95l.06 per mile.
Another thing | want you gentle
men 10 notice in this connection. is
the government report of the postal
service, S22, 600. 600 is placed TO the
credit Of the railroads, Then the ex.
press companies paid TO the railroads
for service in 1891, $40, 900, 600,
What part of these sums the Mis-.
souri, roads get | have no way at pre-
sent of ascertaining, but it is safe to
say, that she got her full ~share-at
least one million dollars, which adj
ded TO the Sl2,0O9, 549.5I net re.
cclpts as shown by the Railroad
Commissioners report for 1891, will
make over ten per cent on n valua.
non Of Over twenty thousand dollars
for every mile of railroad in the
state aud we have no reason TO be.
lieve that the railroads of Missouri
ever cost the present owners one
half that amount. The best authori-
ties place the total cost of RAILWAYS
in the United States at from thirty.
live to iorty.live thousand dollars per
nile, but further say that fully ONE
half of American railroad stock is
water. Now, gentlemen, what other
industry is paying such a rate of in.
come on such large investments?
Statistics will show that agriculture
in the United States only returns an
average net income of three per cen
ON the capital invested. THIS coun-
try has been lavish In contribution TO
railroads, in endeavuring to materi.
ally advance the construction of
roads and develop our country, there.
by adding to the aggregate wealth
and prosperity of all classes. The
government and the people Of the
United States have given TO the rail-
roads of this country, the enormous
SUN of n thousand million dollars,
and territory very near five times as
large as the great state of Missouri.
1t was done in the hope and reason
able expectation that competing lines
would Insure cheap transportation,
but alas for human hopes and ex
peclations, OF the most liberal heart
! ed people to railroads Oh the face Of
he earth What has been the re.
suit, have the American people reap-
ed the golden harvest in the way Of
cheap rates, that their liberal en-
dowments entitled them to? BY nc
means. Every intelligent man in lhi'
country knows that the railroad com
y panies in place of carrying as CHEAP
as they can afford, charge all the
article and the people can bear, poo
5 their interests and maintain ralei
7. that are unjust and ~
no alto oppressive, AM
.,~.npt u be made on the par
Q Of the people, looking TO a lower rat
,ntbAnt aniainr Al hnuI ~ nnyarll