The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-31
FIGURES OF REPRESENTATIVE
DOUGLAS ON THE EARNINGS
OF RAILROADS.
COMPARISON is. FALLACI0US.
TAKES THE LARGEST CROP YEAR
FOR BASIS OF HIS
WORK.
GOES BEYOND LOCAL EARNINGS.
iowa Is Brought Into the Table to
Produce the Most Daring Inac-
curacy of the Article.

A st. Paul newspaper Saturday even
ing contained some figures compiled by
Representative Douglas in support Of
his distance tariff bill. On their face
they did not seem to be just right, and
careful investigation shows they are
far from right.
For example, he first makes an effort to
show that railroad earnings for the year
ending June 80. 1885, in Minnesota exceeded
the earnings for the year ending June 80.
1895, and exceed the average of the years
from 1890 to 1893 inclusive. In the first place
this comparison Is fallacious and misleading be-
cause he has taken as the basis Of comparison
the one year which produced the largest wheat
crop that the Northwest has ever seen-sub-
stantially double crop in North Dakota and
Minnesota. In the next place, since 1893, there
has been considerable amount of railroad
built in Minnesota, notably the Messabe
road, and his statement for 1896 includes an
enormous ore tonnage which small in
comparison in 1898. In the next place his
figures are not confined to local earnings in
Minnesota, but include both the local earnings
and a proportionate part based on mileage Of
all the Interstate earnings Of the lines which
run through Minnesota. The Great Northern
road was opened to the Pacific coast in June,
1893, and his 1896 statement includes a proper
ton Of the increased earnings of that system
based on its largely increased mileage. The
division of Interstate earnings Is made on a
mileage basis solely for the purpose of ascer-
tanning the gross earnings tax to be paid in
Minnesota. In point Of fact the figures in
clude considerable earnings made outside the
state. In the next place, II Mr.. Douglass would
take the year closing the LIST day of June,
1897, during which railroad earnings have
largely fallen off, the showing would be very
different. He has purposely taken. with the
design of conveying false impression, figures
for the most prosperous year the rairioad COM
panies have had since 1890. 1t is further to
be observed that the years from 1893 to 1898
were years Of bankruptcy, Of strike, labor
troubles, CoXey army movement and floods.
During these years railroads did not earn
enough so that their properties could be kept
in good condition, and were forced to discharge
a multitude of deserving employees. 1t re-
quired all and much more than the increased
earnings Of 1896 to make the improvements
which were neglected during the three previ-
Gus years. Even now the companies have not
money enough so that they can afford to
make the necessary improvements on their
roads and have been forced to dispense with
the services Of every laborer who could pos
sibly be spared, thus entailing great hardships
upon the community.
The most daring inaccuraCy of the figures
tween Minnesota and Iowa. The mileage OF
railroads in the two states and their gross
earnings, are stated with substantial correct
ness. He then states total freight revenue
in Minnesota in 1885, $23,76 ,S93, which is
correct. He states total freight revenue for
the same year on Iowa roads, $40, 082, 15.91
His Iowa statement omits l.737.3 miles of
the most profitable road in Iowa and does not
include a cent OF earnings thereon. The
omitted roads are as follows: Chicago. Burl-
ington & Quincy, miles. 755.O3; Chicago,
Burlington & Kansas City, miles, 77.64; Kan
sas City. St. Joe & Council Bluffs, miles,
$685. st. Louis, Kansas & Northern, miles,
81; Des Moines, Northern e. Western, miles,
$50; Dubuque & Sioux City, miles, 1924;
omitted mileage is one-ffth Of the total
mileage in the state. The companies referred
to made report to the Iowa commission
of their freight earnings in the state, and
the published report of the commission from
which Mr.. Douglass extracted his figures af-
firmatively shows this omission.
Mr.. Douglass correctly states the total
freight revenue per mile in Minnesota for
1895, $3,967, but he states the Iowa revenue
per mile for the same year s., 2S6, which is
taking the total freight revenue as stated by
him. $40. OS2 81, and dividing it by the
whole number Of miles Of road in Iowa But
his dividend of $40, 0S2, 1851 does not include
the earnings on 1,737 miles of road, and he
has included the omitted roads in his di-
visor. He has thereby reached grossly in
correct result, and creates an entirely false
impression.
In the next place Mr.. Douglass states,
tons hauled in Minnesota in 1895 were 1880,
$780, which is correct. He states tons hauled
in Iowa the same year were 90, 554, OIL. This
is grossly misleading. The inference sought
to be drawn is that in Iowa more than three
times the tonnage was hauled for less total
revenue than was received in Minnesota. But
unfortunately for Mr.. Douglass, his S., 554, OIL
tons is the total tonnage hauled by the entire
systems of all the roads in any part of whose
lines are in Iowa. The statement is not of
Iowa tonnage. but of the total tonnage of all
the lines which operated any road in Iowa.
This includes to illustrate: Chicago, Milwau-
kee & st. Paul. total tonnage Of the system.
over 10, 00O. 900 tons; Chicago Northwestern,
total tonnage Of the system, over IA, 600, 600
tons; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. total
tonnage of the system, over 100000 tons;
Wabash system, about 5000 900 tons; Rock
Island system, over 100000 tons, etc. This
fully appears on page SO. Of the Iowa Com
missioners' report for 1895. which is the very
page which Mr.. Douglass got his figures
FROM
On page ST. Of the same report, is state
ment of tonnage in Iowa mot including the
Burlington system. which failed to report,
which shows the total tonnage in Iowa 49,
1872 553 TONS which is less than one-quarter of
the number of tons as stated by Mr.. Doug
lass.