The Cook County herald., 1902-07-19


stretches through the interior of our
country and people them with cities,
towns and villages.
-, While the railways have to answer for
tent, on the whole the result has been to
create the most effective, useful, and, by
fer, the cheapest system of land trans
moving ton of freight one hundred
miles is $2.35; in France, $2.1o; in Aus:
the railways are owned and operated by
the government, $1.84; in Russia, also
government ownership, where the ship
enfs nsr are carried under conditions
country as respects long haul, $1.7O; in
the United States the average cost is
I esps or less than 40 Gent S of the
while every article used by the railroads,
including labor, costs more in this coun-
try than 1t costs in Europe, with the ex
in the United States are, as a rule, more
than twice as high, and this high cost in
the United States is constantly increas-
an ordinary box car, the cost of which
mas Increased in the past three. years
over 20 per cent. You gentlemen whose
manufactured articles are sold through
out the country are always able to base
your selling price on the cost Of produc-
tlon, and when your raw material and
aaIor ad%nnd increases the cost your prices are
enormous advance in wages in material
OF every kind, the rates of transportation
IN the United States have gone steadily
Gown from year to year until they are
Dy comparison so much lower than those
OF any. other country that there is no
comparison between them.
II THESE results have been accomplished
under. all the. changing conditions of
financial prosperity and adversity in the
past thirty years, have we not, as a ma
ton, reason to rejoice in what has been
stroy or appropriate the n means @ Which
have brought about these results?
When we consider what has been ac-
clompnshed by the railway companies in
the past thirty years, the singularly low
rate of transportation which prevails, the
average cost being not to exceed one
rndctid rndru OF %hat it vas thirty years ago. the
fifty or more to three, the increase by by
thousands of through routes and rates,
Ine improvement OF facilities for trans
portatlon in roadway, equipment and ter
reason to- congratulate itself on what has
been accomplished? And I will saw fur
ilner, la that al this has been brought about
to to s serve the public and help themselves
rather than by any legislative or other
interference. The railways of the coun-
msrca my are T., subject to @ the interstate COM
not observe the law; that rates are un-
reasonable; that the public are oppressed.
10 do o;,1sea remedy the evils growing. as is
claimed, out of the violation of the law
government ownership is suggested by
some, and an increase of the power Of
others. ~
Government ownership means the CON-
troll and operation of railways by govern
ment Ofhc1als. A mere statement of the
proposition arouses in the mind of al
s9ch So power would end in the destruction
OF the government ITSELF
Price of Transportation.
If the earnings! which the railways are
entltled TO receive were to be derived
solely from traffic beginning and ending
on their respective lines, the rates or
price of transportation would necessarily
be oe 4n must higher than it is; The interest
largely in the increase of the volume of
Interstate and international traffic over
the the Hnes. Take for instance, the lines of
from Lake Superior and the Mississippi
river to Puget Sound. All the interstate
tratfic they can obtain from the great
Ireignt nis producing area south of Lake Su-
them across the lakes, which are closed
to navigation one-half of each year. or
hrouna al, 1,1nl the 50 south end of Lake Michigan
of tpac sng 10 the vol
rates, these two companies must secure
a share of the interstate traffic from the
yer rearieory ah r; named and must also be able to
Irelght produced along their lines and re-
surn 1relght to be transported over their
lines and by steamship connection with
the Pacific coast terminals
II the stock of the railway is held as an
investment Dy those interested in the
territory x served by the lines, in increas-
ing ago the % volume Of traffic and in reducing
rates will be lowered.
If the question of the ownership of
STOCK 5 to irNu was left to the public served by
would it not be for the interest of the
public to have such ownership placed in
me IN nands i,1;s OF those who had acquired it
directly connected with the buildinp ,n
served by them?
Railway Competition.
Ihere has been during the past year a
great @ deal OF public discussion about rail-
volunteer literature has been written on
the subject. It is always a safe basis to
assume that no business will continue for
transactions is loss, and this is eouaIiv
true of your business and of that of thes
railWays No individual, community or
on can tba a9fd to build up its com
benefit: This has been d done ne IN eeaenas se1na
gases gases fa,,t IN the past and the roads which
through the portal Of bankruptcv an ts g1ho Einfo
the hands of rival owners. and. in snnoe
cases, into the hands of owners whose
greater interest is in other directions
and whose object in obtaining them has
been more. to restrict the growth of the
country than to increase it,
Competition in railway rates "a either
active or inactive. All railway rates ava
the subject of conference between the
lines interested, followed by an agree
ment as to rates, and the conI7itions ~
Lhe business of the country demand that
his course must always be followed All
rates are by law made public. and What
ever rate is adopted by one road m,1st he
adopted by the others, or they will lose.
their share of the traffic, IN this thero
s no active competition When comnetis
lion is active, tariffs are disrega rded and
private rates are made to large SINNERS
and rebates paid, amounting, as has been
published, to enormous sums in : tha
Yearly aggregate. To prevent this activa
both the federal governmart
and the several states have enacted laws
which have been: "a dead letter an tho
statute books until public opinion has a.
handed that the various commissions
AXE some action under the law The re. \
cent activity of the interstate@ commercaa
commissions has resulted, T believe r. 5-aN
arge extent IN correcting this abuse. and. 4
t they follow: 1t up with the power CON-
erred upon them by the act Of con ngfess.
he entire system of private rates. viii n
'e& abolished to Gthe advanta ge 3e,f Htha& Il
ra4e tof the whole country. and Of Stfn,
as well. r., I'> j. ~ sf,IsSt1s
There is however a competition he. Il
Ween the railways which viii cnntinIio Il