The Louisiana populist., 1895-05-31
100000

for regulating rates be-
tween roads, 4,OUO,UUU
Z, By exlusiNe use OF shorter
routes, 25.0OO, 900
de dspots, ads stats an and /, officers, 10000, 900
8 By uniformity of rails, cars.
machinery, etc, cheapen-
ing their manufacture, by
avoiding freight blockades
and the. return of empty
cars belonging to other
roads clerkage to keep
acct. of foreign cars, and
division of earnings among
the roads, by making SIM
pie and easily understood
tariffs, saving the time of
clerks, and the people, by
all the little economies of
vast corporation under
single management. and no
competitive warfare to /,
waste its energies. 5000, 900
10. By avoiding strikes, and
developing better spirit
among the employees, 10000, 900
IL By abOlishing the corrup-
tion fund for influencing
courts, legislatures, cOn-
crosses. ETC.. 10000, 900
II BY abolishing the pass evil 30,OOO,OOO
bates and commissions $4,000, 900
IA by having no rent or intel
est to pay, s6,OOO,OOO
pay, $4,000
16 BY putting all surplus in
peoples treasuries, $4,000, 900
Total savings by Government
ment ownership, per year, S662 ,OOO,OoOo
Not a single cent of this state
ment which l give you has
been disputed, though it has been
before the public for three years.
Take all these unnecessary expen-
ses and profits that the people now
pay, from $1,000, 100000 the
amount paid them every year, we
will have S53S, 100000 the actual
cash cost for the same service. un-
der government ownership. Why
such a loss when the people have
the power to prevent it.
The opponents of government
ownership say it will bankrupt the
government, and throw enormous
taxation upon the people. Let us
see if this objection will stand the
test.
The capitalized value of all the
roads in the United States is S11,-
$50, 900, 900, their real value is be-
tween 50, 500. 900, 900 and 81, ,500,-
600. 900. 1t has been proved by
the sworn statements of the best
engineers in America, and by lead
ing statesmen, that every road in
the United States could be built
for S25, 900 a mile. The St. Louis,
Iron Mountain, Southern railroad
is capitalized at $685. ,23S per mile.
The superintendent swore before
the Arkansas State Board of As
SCISSORS that he could build it for
S11, 900 per mile. The Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe road is capi-
talized for S48,O95 ; several years
ago when rails were worth twice
as much as they are now, a state
ment was filed that the road could
be duplicated for S9,6S5 per mile.
The Kansas Midland, is capitalized
for S53, ,024 per mile, but only cost
so, 200. The same is true of our
whole railrord, telegraph and tele-
phone system. The creation of
seven billions fictitious capital on
which the people are forced to pay
interest and dividends is a scheme
more deadly and dangerous than
any planned since the dark ages of
feudaiism.
At liberal estimate of S25, 900
per mile for road and rolling-stock.
the 16S,0O0 miles of road would
cost 81, 200, 10000 This could
be paid for in eight years, since all
the roads yield a net income of
about 1000, 900, with good
management, every year. But we
might extend the time in which
the roads would pay for themselves
to go, 30, or more years, or we
might pay for them with bonds
drawing a low rate of iterest, or
with non interest bearing bonds or
government legal tender notes.
Yet the people would never be tax
ed a single cent, and the credit of
the republic would be strengthened.
We pay the value of the roads
every ten years into the pockets of
corporations. Would it not be
better to pay for them once, and
own them, than to keep on paying
for them and let the other fellow
own them. :.
We do not propose any hurly-
burly revolution, any confiscation
of property, or any thing of the
kind, but with malice toward none,
we face it as a business proposition,