Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1906-08-02
A PLEA FOR FAIR PLAY.
PROTEST AGAINST PROPOSED
TWO. CENT FARE BILL.
President Ripley, of the Santa Fe,
Writes an Important Letter
Addressed to the People
of Kansas
TO THE PEOPLE OF KANSAS.

TO THE PEOPLE OF KANSAS.
The Company 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 i'm
proved in condition and service as
fast as men and money could be OBJ
tanned for the purpose?
Do you know that in order to &C
complish these results the Santa Fe
Company has spent in these ten years
in Kansas alone not less than seven
teen millions of dollars, part of which
was taken from earnings that might
have been distributed to stockholders,
and the rest borrowed?
Do you know that the road is fully
worth to-day the amount of it's total
capitalization?
Do you know that in these ten
years the preferred stockholders have
received total dividends of only 2S%
per cent, or 2.S71a per cent per an
mum, and that common stockholders
have received but Pig per cent, or a
little over two per cent. per annum?
Does 1t strike you that these pay
ments are excessive, or that those
who risked their savings in the enter
prise have received too great a re-
ward? How does this return compare
with those of the farmer or business
man on his investments?
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 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 Sc, Iowa 40, Missouri As?
Do you know that many passenger
trains in 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 reduction of passen-
ger rates, the effect of such reduction
would be keenly felt by the railroads,
because it would reduce nearly all in
terstate rates, SO that for every dollar
saved by a citizen of Kansas the rail-
road company would lose several thou
sand 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 rates?
We think we can demonstrate to any
court or other tribunal that a reduc-
ton in passenger rates is unjust, and
is equivalent to confiscation of our
property, but we do not want conflict
with our patrons; 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 misrepresentation of demagogic
politicians and a sensational press
will not be regarded.
The Santa Fe desires to conduct its
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 poll
tics, yet, when attacked it must de-
fend itself, and when the sole plat
form of a candidate is that he is
"agin the railroads. we are fully
justified in protesting against his cleo
ton. 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,
l can prove them correct.
l do not desire to be drawn into a
newspaper controversy with politi . ans
or demagogues, but should this fall
into the hands of any honest voter,
who doubts nv statements, or desires
| further information, l hold myself in
readiness to answer any communica-
ton addressed in goC1 faith.
(Signed [. .. RIPLEY,
President A. T. e S. F. Ry. Co.
Chicago, Aug. 1, 1906.