Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1906-08-03
E. P. RIPLEY ON
TW0.CENT FARE
SANTA FE HAS ISSUED STATE
MENT TO PEOPLE.
ARGUMENTS ARE Offered
To the Effect that Reduced Passen.
ger Rates Would Be Unreason-
able in the Southwest,

people of Kansas" to-day +. p. Rip
ley of the Atchison, Topeka 4 San
ia Fe Railway company has departed
from the policy of silence usually
adopted by corporation managers.
The question of the fairness of the
two7cent passenger fares in Kansas
is discussed at length, The COM
munication follows:
To the People of Kansas: The
company now owning and operating
the Santa Fe railway is little more
than ten years old.
DO You know that in ten years the
road has been largely rebuilt and
largely re-equippedi
DO You know that the track ON
the main lines is as good as any in
the country and better than most,
and that the branches have also been
improved in condition and service
as fast as men and money could be
obtained for the purposei
Do you know that in order to ac-
complish these results the Santa Fe
company has spent ten years in Kan
sas alone not less than II millions of
dollars, part of which was taken
from earnings that might have been
distributed to stockholders and the
rest borrowedf
DO you know that the road is fully
worth to-day the amount of its total
capitalization
Do you know that in these ten
years the preferred stockholders
have received total dividends of only
2S% per cent, or 2.S712per cent per
annum, and that common stockhold-
ers have received but 2l12 per cent,
or little over 2 per cent per annum 7
Does il strike you that these pay
ments are excessive, or that those
who risked their savings in the great
enterprise have received too great
reward? How does this return
compare with those of the farmer or
business man on his investmentsl
DO you know that in Kansas the
passenger train mileage of the Santa
Fe has about doubled in the last ten
years and that its trains are as com
Portable and luxurious as those run
anywhere in the worldf
DO you know that the passenger
rates are as low as they are in any
state west of Ohio and Michigan, not
withstanding that you have only Is
people per square mile, while Illinois
has S6, Iowa 40, Missouri 45i
DO you know that many passenger
trains in Kansas are run at an act
ual loss and solely for the accommo-
dation of the public?
DO yau know that while the people
of Kansas would individually save
but little money by reduction of
passenger rates, the effect of such
reduction would be keenly felt by
the railroads. because il would reduce
nearly all interstate rates, so that
for every dollar saved by citizen
of Kansas the railroad company
would lose several thousand dollars
II you know all these things to be
true. what reason or excuse is there
for demanding that your Legislature
pas law attempting to reduce the
passenger ratesf
We think we can demonstrate 10
any court or other tribunal that a
reduction in passenger rates is un-
just, and is equivalent to confiseation
of our property, but we do not want
to be continually litigating in the
effort to preserve our rights. We
believe that when the people know
the facts the Interpretations OF
demagogics politicians and a sensa-
tional press will not be regarded.
The Santa desires to conduct iti
business fairly and with due regard
to ther lights of the public; it raises
no objection to public supervision
and reasonable regulation; it desires
above all things to keep out Of poll.
ties, yet, when attacked it must de.
fend itself, and when the sole plat
form of a candidate is that he il
"again the railroads." we are fully
justified in protesting against hi,
election. That is what every mar
and every interest in the state would
do If attacked.
If my statements are true yol
cannot believe that the agitation fol
a two-cent rate bill is justifable; il
you doubt the statements, or any Of
them, I can prove them correct.
do not desire to be drawn into |
newspaper controversy with polite