The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-04

ine Aeuces TO keep OF cattle and the sign
posts to warn people at railway crossings
cost over S3,500,0O0 per annum, or more
tnan the legislative branch of the ma
tlohal government. Even the newspa-
pers "a ana printers are deeply interested,
lor 9o,ooo,ooO was spent in printing and
advertising. The United States Postoffice
h:t hpepartment is considered an important
business, and yet the aggregate expenses
OF that department in 1895 were S9o
17f'o-2, while for repairs and renewals of
locomotives, passenger and freight cars
our our raH rraallWays expended ip the same year
S93, 7O7,999. A moments thought will
make 1t clear that nearly all of this vast
sum IS annually spent for mechanical Ia
oor Of all kinds, for nearly every branch
OF industry enters into locomotive and car
building lp times normally good Won
may may safely figure on upward of $1OO, ,OOO.-
wv per anpum for this purpose as a regu-
iar {, part OF keeping the rolling stock of
fali"avs up to date and in good repair. to
say nothing of an additional ten million
ior other mechanical work incidental to
keeping the plants Of transportation In
sood running order. I only refer to these
iacts Tor the purpose of showing how in
timately the successful conduct of these
great properties Is interviewer with other
INDUSTRIES OF the country, and how i'm
possible 1t Is to injure our railway prop.
eftles without at the same time seriously
lnJurlng almost all other occupations and
curtalllng the prosperity Of the entire na-
tlon. 1t has been aptly stated that unless
lhe people are prosperous the railroads
cannot flourish. Is not the converse equal
~ true; can the people prosper when so
large an industry languishes, when its
ooo'ooo employees are working only part
time and its forces are reduced to the
lowest possible limit-repairs and replace
ments postponed to better times?
Disturbance of Commerce.
Not only do the continued attacks on
railways thus fall heavily upon the indus
,SE tiies OF the country at large, but they
orins ABOUT disturbance of commerce.
anu cause men who would otherwise put
theif money into cooperative industries
70 withhold it, and thus cripple existing
ana prevent new enterprises Of all sorts.
instead OF benetiting the public, much of
Tue so,calied railway legislation has been
decided detriment. 1t creates nnaarta;, nS1u
" "here certainty should exist 1t breeds
many of the ills (such as discriminat t;on
IN rates. which it seeks to remedy ond
mas done much toward bringing bankrunt-
cy and ruin to nearly half the railway
mileage of the country.
Protection to American industries'' hos
ever been cardinal principle in this coun
try. They have almost Invariably receiy-
ed falr treatment at the hands of the ma
tlonal Legislature. Why should an in
dustry employing more labor-and a great
er proportion of American-born labor-in
which the capital invested is greater.
which eXpends for supplies in this country
aione sums Tar in excess Of any other in
dustry, be debarred from fair and legiti
mate treatment and become the prey of
INSCRIPTIONS demagogues and dishonest
politicians, and the target for newspaner
abuse: In new country, under new
conditions, and with rapidity that has
astonished the older world, we have built
up railway system equal in mileage 70
all the railways of the rest of the world
combined
The men responsible for the work have
used their best judgment, given their best
thought, and many of them the best wears
of their lives, in honest endeavor to make
the most of the enterprise In which they
have embarked. Are not the purposes
of this industry as necessary and legiti-
mate, are not its owners entitled to as fair
return upon their investment as other
industries? Are not its officers and en-
ployes as honest, efficient and patriotic
as those in other avocations? Why not
give them fair chance? Out of the COM