Arizona republican., 1906-08-19
PRESIDENT RIPLEY TO
 PEOPLE OF KANSAS
Head of Santa Fe Railway System
 Discusses Two Cent Fares.

President E. P. Ripley, of the Santa Fe Railway system, has addressed a very interesting and courageous letter to the people of the state of Kansas anent the agitation for the establish ment of two cent per mile passenger l railroad fare now on the tapis in the | Suntiower state. MT. Ripley does not mince matters. He uses good logic and sound reasoning. The letter is in teresting and reads:
 To the People of Kansas: The com pany now owning and operating the Santa Fe Railway is a little more than | ten years old.
 Do you know that in that ten years the road has been largely rebuilt and largely re-eQuipped?
 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 purpose?
 Do you know that in order to accom- plish these results the Santa Fe com pany has spent in these ten years in Kansas alone not less than S17,OOO. .OOO part of which was taken from earn ings that might have been distributed to stockholders and the rest borrowed :?
 Do you know that the road is fully worth today the amount of its total capitalization?
 Do you know that in these ten years the preferred stockholders have recefv- ed total dividends of only 2SM Der cent or 2.S71a per cent per annum. and that common stockholders have hvvF over ? per cent per annum?
 Does il strike you that these pay ments are excessive. or that those who risked their savings in the enterprise have received too great d reward? How does this compare with those of the farmer or business man on his in vestments?
 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 fortable as those run anywhere in the world?
 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 4O Missouri 45?
 Do you know that many passenger trains is Kansas are run at an actual loss and solely for the accommodation of the public?
 Do you know that while the people of Kansas would individually save but little money by a reduction of passen- ger train rates, the effect of such a reduction would be keenly felt by the railroads, because it would reduce nearly all interstate rates, so that for every dollar saved by citizen of Kan sas the railroad company would lose several thousand dollars?
 If you know all these things to be true, what reason or excuse is there for demanding that your legislature pass a law attempting to reduce the passenger rate?
 We think we can demonstrate to any court or other tribunal that a reduc- ton in passenger rates is unjust, and is equivalent to contiscation to 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 misrepresentations of demagogic poIf- ticians and a sensational press will not be regarded
 The Santa Fe desires to conduct it's business fairly and with due regard to the rights of the public; it raises no objection to public supervision and reasonable regulation; it desires above all things to keep out of politics. yet. when attacked it must defend itself. and when the sole platform of a can dtdate is that he is 'agin the rail- roads, we are fully justified in pro- testing against his election. That is what every man and every interest in the state would do if attacked.
 If my statements are true you can not believe that the agitation for a two cent rate bill is justifiable; if you doubt the statements. or any of them. I can prove them. l can prove them correct.
 I do not desire to be drawn into a newspaper controversy with politi- clans or demagogues. but should this fall into the hands of any honest voter who doubts my statements, or de- sires further information. I hold my self in readiness to answer any com addressed in good faith. 1
 E P. RIPLEY,
 President A. T. & S. F. Ky. Go.
 Chicago August 1. 1906.
 sick man talks about everything n.