The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-02-21
WHOLE NO.. 1896

. Last year net.earnings of the rail
ways Of this country were $500, 100000 !
and after deducting every expense, in
cluding interest on Investment and the
amounts appropriated. for permanent
and other improvements not actually in.
cluded in ordinary running expenses
after paying for labor and every con-.
ceivable expense in the matter of large.
salaries, etc, the roads of the country
We're still enabled to pay the enormous
sum of $l1s,O9G, coo in dividends If the
government owned the roads the useless
expense of running parallel lines would .
be done away with and this saving alone J
would double track all of the more inn
portant lines of the country In the
matter of salaries too there would be "a
great saving as the government would :
scarcely be compelled to pay salaries
several times as high as that of the
President of the United States himself
to the managers of the different di.
visions of the railway system. 'FRONT.'
these and other considerations it is not :
difficult to believe that, with these great
expenses which would be saved. the
roads which now pay. $1ts, OoO. 900 in !.
dividends would pay for, themselves in
the course of a comparatively few years.
AS to the efficiencyof the service and
the quality Of the same reference had
already been made to. the post Office de-
partment and The effects Ola civil
service backed by public conscience.
[ Further reference to the high grade of
government work was also made 'by calls .
ing,attention to the engineering records
which. have. been made by governmtnt
engiueers ON the Pacific, on the Mississ
sippi,, and at the Sault Other ways in
which the service could be improved
Under governmental> operation of the
railways, were meltioned in a brief
summary,D by the. speaker. such as the
resultant abolition Of one Of the strong
est lobbying intlusnces at the national
capitol, and the one which has done the
most to interfere With the construction
Of the Isthmian CANAL the'cheapening of
the cost Of the mail service. the care of
the abuse whereby at present only sbout
two hours out of the every days life of
freight car is used for its legitimate
traffic purposes and the most of. the rest
of the time as warehouse the lower.
ing of rates by the prevention of over
capitalization with its consequent heces-
sity of overcharging in order to pay
dividends, and together with these
changes the regulation of water freight
rates on the Great Lakes and the
government supported water ways,
All in all the conclusions of Mr..
Osborn We're more tnan favorable to
government ownership and control and
the audience would have been glad to
have listened to him for as much longer
a time as he had already talked when he
stopped
The little son and daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. F. B. Richardson rendered a
fine duet on the violin and mandolin
and received the hearty applause of the
audience
The second address of the evening
was by Mr.. Horton, Master of the State
Grange and one OF the best known
farmers of Michigan Mr.. Horizons
high regard for the farm and for farm
life soon appeared. Abiding to the
practice Of successful men everywhere
Of retiring from the active pursuits of
their business after they had attained
both age and success, Mr. Horton said
that when he retired from the business
of farming ne would retire on the farm
The fact that so large per cent of re-
tired farmers retired to the villages and
cities seemed to him one Of the causes
for the feeling on the part of the young
Ell men that they too should seek the
city and that farm life was something to
be stunned. This should not be so,
| Country life is beautiful, free, health
| full, and the young men of today should
| be taught to see its beauties.
CONTINUED ON PAGES.