The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-02-19
AMERICAN RAILWAYS.
Same interesting Facts as - Thctr
prrscnt Condition.

Railways" published in recent mum
Der of the New York SUM.
The latest general balance sheet OF the
rs,lways OF the United states gives US
total valuation OF railway properly cioss !
to s., 200. 900. and over iso.'"V mfrs =.
road Next To our farms. whieh assresn.ru, )
Il 300 900 OOO these great properties VII
form nj the close OF the century. the most
valuable assets OF the republic. the con-
struction OF the great systems Oh ,ians
portation has played an important II no.
the most important part In 'he pros,.s
Of tho nation during the last haii ceh'"is,
Within the last few weeks, the ways anu
means committee of congress nave grah,e"
hearings ut Washington to those represent
ing our several industries In reading tn-
published testimony. one Is struck WIN ,ne
dcplorable accounts given OF the cohui,ioon
of many branches OF manufacture. Nhhe
not occupying the public mind TO anythins
like the extent OF the manufacturer tn1
American railroad Is In as BAD, II nov III
a worse plight. II congress would ohiy eN-
tend its hearings TO railways, the stories
OF the recent tariff hearings would be re-
peafed with emphasis on Larger ana even
more Impressive scale Loss al earihhss'
reductions OF rates below the paying point
actual loss in pa ssenger traffic, de'erlora-
/ lion Of roadbed, reduction in the number
! of employees. others working half-ume' re-
\ ceiverships. foreclosure sales practlcaiis
! half Of this enormous inNcstmeht pl.nnnis
!
steadily settling down upon our ehure sSs-
tenn.
The losses and disasters arising from
these conditions have been widespread anu
| far-reachng. In the first place, IL Is UNI
| aoubtedly true that in no other INDUSTRY
/ IL 40 large a business carried on upon SO
| small a banking account \ railway COM
many is a great distributor. not only or
/ passenger and freight. but or money. AS
| fast as its earnings come In, they go on.
I
emnloyes which reached nearly SoVo
few years ago, but which has been reduceu
fully 100 900. With continued prosperity.
our railway system would nave to-uay
furnished direct employment 10 AT ieas.
400 coo employees. This. however, gives out
an imperfect idea of the number employed
Indirectly, that Is. In car shops ana loco
motive works, and equipment shops OF AL
kinds blast furnaces. rail mills ana
myriad Industries dependent upon the ran
WAYS for their prosperity. AS the percent
age OF increase in equipment has peeh re-
duced from ten per cent IN isV' 10 al
actual decrease In 1875. IL may De saie'y
assumed that thousands indirectly ensaseu
Rave hcen thrown out OF employment.
nerusal of the statistics of railways as
compiled by the United States govern
ment shows conclusively that under eS-
istinr conditions most of our railways are
running behind, and the rev that az az
parentiy holding their own are far from
hopeful for the future. Economical man
agement is one thing. but forced ecoho'i.ies
can only result In deterioration % 'he
property For few years some OF our
older railways can thus economize. but II
4. only by continued and liberal expendi-
.ure OF money that track. roadDed. tfuses,
equipment and rolling stock can De kept
up-to-date and In good running oruer' ane
loss to labor has been enormous anu IL -
important that railway employees OF AL
. grades should study this SIDE OF the Ques-
ton. With freight ard passenger rates
legs than those OF European countries
where labor Is paid about half the AmeI-
ar rates how long will our railways he
able 10 tide along with reduced FORCES anu
. three-ouarte time? Unless the decline IN
receipts Is stopped. wages must pc re-
duced. and then the trouble VIII oes,ii.
Taking an army Of 100000 men out OF actNe
emnloynent In one occupation Is prett,
= serious business That means an ahhua
loss in wages Of not less than slv.v o,s
Here we have the direct loss. Inc ihuirec
loss comes from the rreparable injury y
/ the properties by reason OF not keePl'.'
II them up. ultimately entailing additioha
{ losses
!. With the exception OF 1894. passenge
y rates reached their lowest In no. whn'
II Sreirht rates save a small rally in is:z
a are steadily coming down. When compare'
with foreign countries. are rates are IN
a deed low. 1t is said that If the Pennsyi
vania Railroad company could secure IN
,, same rates as the London * Northwes,e,'
a increa sed $4,000 0O0 Mr.. George X. Blanch
- ard, in his recent testimony before the III
. terstatc commerce committee o. the SCI
y; ate. said that had our railways collected IN
III lowest OF the European cnarses'
would have received s370. 100000 more tina
. we did receive. This calculation was pase
" on the figures OF 1892. The figures OF lsy
which are lower for the United state'
Ie- woui. make a greater difference.
Is The impartial student OF these data mus
ba
-ial az well as Industrial reconstruction
no The census reports % 1850 and 1880 ana ~
p. statistics OF the interstate commerce cor
he mission, all OF which are UNIFORM tosr,h'
-, with the valuable reports OF H. " FOO
- give IA material on which to base tno
I'LL ough inquiry. The presidents ana oth
Sc. officers who have charge OF these gre
in properties should be accorded the san
"a | opportunity to be heard as the inahuiactu
'n' mo induatries So far as can learn. the
ST Is no desire on the part OF railway ma
ties ayers to generally raise rates. lhere
lao however a widespread belief that ro
Iii bottom prices have been reached a.
that anything, even the merest snaue low
IN will be absolutely ruinous.
I'VE. The case against the railways ~ a
apu miliar one. Those who realize these n.
conditions have no excuses or apoiosl
Cor past mismanagement. nor Tor
ogs methods by which some OF these roa
mt .ara buiit Whatever may he said OF tnt
ing who built railways far IN shsnn ,na OF l Eol
,,as iation, or for purposes other tnah ies
""' mate trade we have. on the other ha'
c,ually to blame. the cities and TOW
ling and counties and individuals who W.
.ses. ready to mortgage the future to help ale
in tne W. .nd tho fraud hive b,
and soueezed out OF these properties. In n
Mace new and honestly-acquired cap
and in the shape OF enforced loans from DO
- holders and forced assessment OF sto
".'' holders has been invested. Foreclosu
snt., the sheriff and the courts have wiped
per much OF the inflated values ana new ca
Ian. tal with reorganization for business
go. poses has followed Surely no one
.ai deny that the consolidation and chanl
De- saw OF the last decade. have been D,
bout aciol There Is more uniform action Z
ever before Better business principles
vail. The public have never been so
and so cheaply served as now. Const'
|. ing the hard times. the DISCHARGES,
y no reduced tirne. there has never existed
>hcr- ter feeling between the railway emp
will and the officers than at present. Inc