Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-01-16
) ~~p><%V>~>><~><%1


Reductions in rates of transportation
must be made with the greatest care in
order 70 avoid unfair discrimination
against persons or localities. A reduction
in the rates of the whole country of 10
cents for moving ton of freight 400 miles
o3o on the traffic handled during the past
year. and would wipe out large part of
the income of the railroads.
General Railroad Conditions.
The conditions of the general railroad
situation in the United States at the pres
ent time are hardly understood: For the
year ending June 80, $780, the number of
tons carried one mile by all the railroads
was I6,2O7 100000 ton miles; in 1900 it was
l41GOO.OOO,000 as shown by the interstat.
commerce commission reports. In 1901
safe estimate will bring this to 16jOOO,-
0O00OO tons carried one mile, an increase
OF 10 per cent in eleven years. During
this time the mileage of the railroads in
the United States Increased IS per cent
While the tons moved shows an increase
Oh l2o per cent the earnings show an m
crease of less than 40 per cent During
TINS time the rates have been reduced TO
the extent of that difference. During thar
period OF eleven years, notwithstanding
the enormous increase in traffic, four of
the so-called trunk lines have through
destructive competition failed, and been
reorganized. and all but one of them have
been absorbed by the stronger surviving
INES. Destructive competition has forced
the weakest lines into bankruptcy, and to-
DAY they are owned by the lines that were
able to maintain their position and credit.
giving the ability to acquire these bank.
rupt roads. The Baltimore e. Ohio and
the pennsylvania for half century have
Deen rival roads. Both states and cities
nave actively aided in building them up.
destructive competition between them has
lnally resulted in the Pennsylvania road
owning the Baltimore & Ohio. Have the
rates advanced? Have the people along
the llne OF the Baltimore & Ohio suffered?
On the contrary, the first step has been
10 furnish money to cut down the grades,
70 double track the line from the Ohio
river to Chicago and to furnish cars ana
terminal facilities to handle the business
10 the pest advantage. and at such rates
as will enable the shippers along the line
to open up their mines and increase their
business in every branch of trade. and Ia
rely upon the solvent company for the
1aclltles necessary to transact their BUSH
ness.
Hardly day passes without a railroad
accident. many of which are attended
with much loss of life. What is the
cause? In an effort to handle the BUSH
ness of the public trains are run in such
numbers and at rate of speed which is
entirely beyond the capacity of the roads
to-day there Is an absolute blockade of
traffic between Chicago and the Missis-
sippi river points in the West and the
Atlantic seaboard. Furnaces within a
short distance of the coke ovens are cold
ana thousands of men are idle for want
or transportation. There is coal famine
from Pittsburg to Denver. People say it
Is due to shortage of cars. Ten years
ago. with ton mile movement of seven
tS-six billions. the average freight car
movement was about thirty miles per
day; at this time 1t Is not more than
twenty miles per day. 1t is not more
cars that Is wanted. but more movement