The San Francisco call., 1905-05-04
NOTABLES ADDRESS. RAILROAD MEN
FROM ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD
Secretaries Morton
and Taft Make
Speeches.
Among the Speak
erS Is Stuyvesant
Fish.

WASHINGTON. May S.-The Amer
ican Railway Appliance Exhibition was
formally opened here to-day in the
presence Of nearly a thousand delegates
10 the international Railway Congress.
Speeches were made by Secretary of
War Taft, Secretary Of the Navy Nor
ton, President George A. Post Of the
exhibit, T. L. Lawrence, deputy chair
man Of the London Northwestern Rail-
way, and Stuyvesant Fish, president of
the American section Of the congress.
George Westinghouse, in accepting
the Craftsmanship Of the exercises, pre-
oicted q new era in railroaoing by the
substitution Of electricity for steam in
the moving OF trains Secretary Taft
followed. speaking in a humorous vein.
Secretary Morton spoke in part os fol-
lows:
The story of the transportation of
this country and the improvements in
transportation facilities is the history
Of American progress. II is no exag-
geratiOn TO say that the prominent
commercial position OF the United
States in the world to-day is chiefly on
account of its low railroad rates, and
Il is not at all out of the way for me TO
say that if it We're not for American
railway appliances the cost OF trans
portation in this country would not be
to-day as cheap as it is. II has been
estimated that where one dollar
has been invested in railroads, the
value OF agricultural property has been
increased ten dollars. The steel rail
and the steam engine with all other
railway appliances. have been pioneers
IN the development Of this country. To-
day with great luxury and comfort and
at a cost Of less than three cents a
nile, travellers accomplish in less than
one hour what sixty years ago was
more than days journey.
"I'he railroad freight rates in the
United States are low. No other coun-
Ntry has such cheap carrying of goods
mere are very few complaints of
rates in this country because they are
too high. Complaints Of extortionate
rates are the exception, not the rule
Rates are lower in the United States
than anywhere else in the world. They
probably aggregate 40 per cent lower.
This alone is something to be proud of;
but coupled with the fact that. with
The lowest rates in existence, the
wages paid by American railroads to
tnelr. employees approximate at least
. ol per cent more than the wages paid
70 railroad men in other countries and
considered further with the fact that
the American railroads probably pay
higher prices for materials than other
railroads il the world, only serves TO
emphasize the triumph in transporta-
tion which has been achieved in
Anerca-
It has been my observation that
complaints OF unreasonable rates to
railroad men always receive prompt
and satisfactory attention
While IN a sense railroad trauspor-
tation is a natural monopoly in
broader sense it is all competitive
market competition prevails every
where and is always a controlling force
II r-temaking."
Many members Of the International
Railway Congress met tonight at
banquet at the Raleigh House as the
guests OF the American Railway Guild
Secretary OF the Navy Paul Morgan.
responding TO the toast, The President
or the United States said:
On the railroad question President
Roosevelt wants nothing but that
which is right, and he is just as anx-
ious that no injustice shall be done to
the railroads as he is that justice shall
be done to the public. Il is gratifying
10 know that to-day there is less dis
crininsUon, fewer rebates and more
equality In freight rates than ever be-
fore in the history of the country.
But through one device or another
there still remain here and there
preferential rates which favor certain
large shippers and which bear down
unJustly on others. This is the condi-
- tion Of affairs that the President is
doing his best 20 remove The pri-
, vate sioetrack arrangements, by which
unfairness in rates has been enjoyed
by some Of the big industries of the
country; the earning of more than
fair return on private car investments:
the payment OF commissions Of various
sorts or rebates on preferential rates
IN any form, ought to be entirely dis
continued"