The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-01
Nudge, WHO Today Became Manager

the ability of the western country to
purchase and consume goods far beyond
any previous history Of that portion of
the country.
THE rate situation has been, as a
whole, fairly satisfactory, and in the
absence Of all kinds Of machinery to
prevent the decentralization in rates,
save q large movement of tonnage, the
railroads are to be congratulated on
getting through the year with so little
rate disturbance.
THE railroads of the country are now
fully alive to what it means to have
steel rails double in price, bridge mater
ial increase leo per cert, fuel go up in
cost from 10 to 25 cents per ton, and
other supplies marked up in price in
DR. )portion. It is estimated that the
increase in the price of supplies and
materials to the railroads will amount
to about $500 more per mile per annum
than it did in 1888, ande this has con-
fronted the railroads " 9TH a condition
that makes it absolutely necessary for
t. EN- to secure advanced rates.
Some proests have been filed as to
the manner in which railroads have at
ter pted to put up their charges by
CHI snges in classification, and it is quite
do 4btful in the minds of some of the
best informed shippers and railroad
men whether it would have not been
more courageous and defensible for the
railroads to have made a. horizontal adj
vance in the rates all along the line.
"fThere has been very Little effort on
the part of the railroads to secure any
favorable legislation in their behalf,
although it is generally conceded that
a hill prohibiting the sale of tickets
through scalping offices should be en-
acted into law. and that a Iegalization
of pools among railroads would be a
long ways toward preventing unjust
Determinations as between shippers,
commodities, or communities
THE congressional industrial COM
mission has heard a great deal of tes-
timony in regard to the transportation
question during the past year, and the
consensus of 1t was not that rates were
Of themselves too high, but that they
WEI unfairly adjusted as between
shippers, or relatively as between diff
ferent sections of the country. There
was very little, if any. direct complaint
that rates of themselves were too high.
IN the absence of the right to legally
contract with each other as to a division
of competitive traffic, the concentration
of ownership of railroads is slowly pro-
crossing, and has made considerable
neadway during the past year, especial
ly east of Chicago 1t is generally con-
ceded that the transportation situation
in shat section OF the country is to
very large degree controlled by very
few people, but the benefits to be de-
rived from joint ownership have not yet
been fully realized. Sc long as the laws
Of the country foster and encourage
| unrestricted competition it is quite like
| iy that only the logical result attained
| will be consolidation.
THE railroads Of the country are un-
| douttedly in better physical condition
| than they ever have been before, and
| the service rendered by them is, as
| general proposition, superior to that
| ever before offered to the American peo-
pie; but unless the charges made fer
transportation are to correspond with
| the cost of the service rendered to the
public, tie service will have to be
brought down to level with the
| charges, and this involves the question
Of wages.
The outlook for business for 1900 is