Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-01-16


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 a ton of freight 100 miles
would make a reduction OF over $150,0G0.-
600 on the traffic handled during the past
year, and would wipe out a large .Jl3t OF
the income OF the railroads.
General Railroad Conditions.
The conditions of che general railroad
situation in the United States at the pres
ent time are hardly understocd: For the
year ending Juae so, 1890. me number or
tons carried one mile by all the railroads
was &c, 207, o00,000 ton miles; in 1900 il was
141, Coo. 100000 as shown by the interstat,
commission reports. In 1901 a
safe estimate will bring this to 165, 0OO,-
100000 tons carried one mile, an increase
or 40 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
or 10 per cent, the earnings show an IN
crease OF less than 40 per cent During
this m the rates have been reduced 70
the extert of that difference. During thai
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
lines. 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 a. Ohio and
the Pennsylvania for half a century have
been rival roads. Both states and cities
have actively aided In building them up.
Destructive competition between them has
finally resulted In the Pennsylvania road
owning the Baltimore & Ohio. Have the
rates advanced? Have the people along
the line OF the Baltimore & Ohio suffered?
On the contrary, the first step has been
TO furnish money to cut down the grades.
to double track the line from the Ohio
river TO Chicago and to furnish cars and
terminal facilities to handle the business
to the best 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 to
rely upon the solvent compan for the
facilities necessary TO transact their bust
ness.
Hardly a 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 busi-
ness of the public trains are run in such
numbers and at a 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 Mlssis-
sjppi river points In the West and the
Atlantic seaboard. Furnaces within a
short distance of the coke ovens are cold
and thousands of men are idle for want
OF transportation. There Is a coal famine
from P~ittsburg TO Denver. People say 1t
is due to shortage OF cars. Ten years
ago.. with a ton mile movement OF seven
ty-six billions, the average freight car
movement was about thirty miles per
day; at this time it Is not more than
twenty miles per day. Ii Is not more
cars that 10 wanted, but mare movemenf