The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-04-13
POSTAL FREIGHT RATES
A Five Cent Rate Per Hundred Pounds
for Any Distance Would More
than Equal Present Receipts
RAILROAD CRIMES SINCE 1898
Forgeries Have Been Committed to
the Amount of $1,465, ,490,000 and
the Vile Work Still Goes On
copyrighted by A. J. Gustin, April
19051

copyrighted by A. J. Gustin, April
Z, 1905.)
IL no discrimination be made to any
shipper, any commodity, or to any 10
cality, cent rate per 100 pounds
could be made and the roads OF the
United States obtain greater net
revenue than they now get. We will
now give the facts to prove what a
Square deal' will mean. 1t will mean
5 cent freight stamp transporting
100 pounds of freight exactly as does
a 2 cent stamp the transporting OF
letter. We will get our facts from the
reports of the roads which have been
made annually to the interstate COM
merce commission for the past seven
teen years. These reports are the
most carefully compiled data in the
possession of the government. The
statistical report of 1903 is the last
one compiled and we will in this let
ter give comparative facts each year
from 1898 to 1903 inclusive.
In 1893 the number Of tons of freight
carried was, 745,119,4S2; the gross
revenue on which was, 1908 sol;
average or postal rate per ton, $l.lO.
In 1894 the tonnage carried was $685.
1868; gross revenue, $699,490, ,9l3;
average or postal rate per ton, $l.lO.
In 1895 the tonnage carried was,
696, ,761, Ill; gross revenue, $729,99o,-
4G2; average or postal rate per ton,
s1.O5.
In 1896 the tonnage carried was
765,891,395; gross revenue, S1S6,blo,-
S37; average or postal rate per ton,
$103. -,
In 1897 the tonnage carried was 741,-
705.84s: gross revenue, $772,849,314;
average or postal rate per ton, $1.O4.
In 1898 the tonnage carried was ol9,-
O06, ,SO7; gross revenue, $7S6, ,727,9ll; !;
average or postal rate per ton, %
cents.
In 1899 the tonnage carried was $685.
1883; gross revenue, $9l3,737 l55 !;
average or postal rate per ton, "
cents
Tn 1900 the tonnage carried was l.
1O1, ,6SO,23S; gross revenue, $l,o49,25o,-
1923; average or postal rate per ton,
81 cents.
Tn 1901 the tonnage carried was l.
O99.226. .440: gross revenue, $l,l1o,54o,-
s14. average or postal rate per ton,
S105.
In 1902 the tonnage carried was l.
2OO,S15,387; gross revenue, $l,zVf ,zzo,-
s45; average or postal rate per ton,
$1O3.
In 1903 the tonnage carried was l.
304.394,323; gross revenue, SIo5o,ozo'-
O2e. average or postal rate per ton,
$1.O5.
The average or postal rate received
during the years 1898 to 1903 inclu-
sive is one dollar three and three
quarters cents per ton, or five cents
and two mills per 100 pounds, lnclud-
ing the lean years and fat years, ana
all other contingencies.
This includes years in which rates
were made higher than the roads at
that time considered reasonable, that
the revenue might afford surplus from
which to pay rebates, which was a
common practice towards large SHIP
pers. - '
This fact was shown in the Standard
oil investigations and is cited by some
IF tbe apologists for Mr. John D..
Rockefeller. At this writing the Union
Pacific is issuing $100,OOO,OOO of stock
in addition to its present vastly in
flated paper values, and this fraudu-
lent policy is being persued generally
by other lines in order to justify in
creased and unnecessary rates which
were formerly paid out in rebates.
The railway mileage since 1892 has
increased 31,516 miles and railway
capital has increased s2,4O9,oOOooo. AL.
loving $4,000 per mile for value OF
increased mileage we find that in
eleven years, 1898 to 1904, inclusive,
"water' or forgeries have been foated
to the tune of s1,465, 100000, for which
no value has been placed in public use.
1t is we'll known that the public will
be expected to redeem or make good
these forgeries when the roads are
taken over by the government. And
at the present and for the future the
roads expect freight rate to be ex-
acted which will make these forgeries