The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-09-14
SAY NeHELL Is WRONG
PRESIDENT OF ROCK ISLAND
TAKEN TO TASK
Rates Besides Improvements in
Service OF Railways

Chicago, Sept s.-PrOminent Chi
cagO shippers yesterday took sharp
issue with the assertion OF President
B. L Wincheu OF the Rock Island
lines that the shippers organizations
should demand OF the railroads not
lower rates but better service They
contend that the roads could and
ought to make the many improve
ments in their facilities which Mr.
Wincheu mentioned and also low
er freight rates The shippers posi-
ton was defined by ". 3. COnkey,
who is a director in both the Illinois
Manufacturers association ana the
American Shippers association
1T is notorious" declared Mr.. Con-
key, that the railroads for years paid
enormous sums in the form OF re-
bates to many big business concerns.
1t is also notorious that they issued
thousands Of people. Rebates and
passes have been cut on now, and the
result must be colossal increase IN
railway revenues
Enormous Profits Of Railways.
Besides this, the business Of the
country is growing at q rate the like
Of which never was known in the his
tory Of the world. This also is adding
enormously TO the railway revenues
Meantime many economies nave Deen
and are being introduced in methods
OF transportation The railroads were
able 10 make extensions and improve
ments in the past when they were
giving rebates and passes and when
their business was much smaller than
now. Why, then, viii II be necessary
for them to have all this increased
revenue in order to make improve
ments in the future2
The shipping interests Of the cOun-
try don't believe it viii be necessary.
We believe part Of the benefit result
ing from the abolition OF rebates and
passes and the growth OF the trans
pOrtatiOn business ought TO go TO the
railroads patrons and the public. We
believe rates not only ought 70 De
eQualized, but that they ought to DC
! lowered on the average If everybody
| is to get a fair deal and the railroads
are not 10 derive the lions share Of
/ the advantage from the enactment Of
the new rate law"
| The statement Of Mr. W1ncheL
which called forth the above, follows
! The chief need Of the country, 81
/ far as the railroads are concerned, i
not lower rates, passenger or IrelgnI
| but better railroads and better anC
more adequate service Rates are low
er in the United States than in an
| other country in the world, and the!
/ could not be reduced materially with
/ out so impairing railway revenues a.
to arrest the extension and improve
ment Of railways and their service
/ which must continue to be pushed
/ rapidly forward If the industrial de
/ veIopment Of the United States is no
/ hampered by inefficient and 1nsufn
| cient transportation facilities.
The interstate commerce commits
sion being composed Of intelligent ant
able men, hardly can fail to see tina
l this is true, and therefore it appear
| improbable that it will take any &C
ton looking toward general reduc
tiOns.
! Many Of the railroads Of the Unit
| ed States" Mr.. Wincheu continued
| ARE skeletons of what they must b
eventually There is a public demanl
/ that travel be made safer and faster
This cannot be done without cOntin
ued large expenditures for heaVie
rails, from ballast, double tracks an
complete signal system
] Revision of existing lines and re
duCtiOn Of grades, TO enable ecOnOmi
cal operation, will call for hundred
I Of millions Of dollars Every year a
| certain seasons there is a congestion
j Of traffic which causes great annoy
lance and heavy losses to the railroads
shippers and the entire public tn
indefinite recurrence Of these cOndi
tons can be prevented only by the en-
ilargement of terminals, the cOnStTuc
ton Of many thousands Of miles Of ad
ditiOnal main and passing tracks, an
the purchase Of a vast amount OF neI
and improved equipment
Demands are coming in frOr
towns and cities for new passenge
stations and freight houses, and man
must be built if shippers and traveller
are to be afforded satisfactory treat
ment
THE making Of these and man
other needed improvements will be IA
better for everybody than a reductiO
Of rates. They cannot be made with
out the expenditure Of many million
OF dollars. The necessary money ca
be had in only one Of two ways-b
earning it or borrowing it 1t cannC
be earned If rates are generally low
| cred, and such action would impai
seriously the carriers borrowing pow
ers-
The business Of the western rail
rOads-which have the greatest nee
essities-is doubling every ten year
/ or less, and we all believe that tn
country and its traffic will continue {
| develop for years to come There wi
/ be time enough to consider lower rate
! basis after the United States stop
growing and its railroads have caugh
up with it"