The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-01-24
ROOSEVELT URGE
CONTROL OF ROADS IN
NEAR FUTURE, AGAIN
Strong Recommendation Likely
to Be Sent to Congress
Sooner Than Expected.

Washington, d. G., Jan. 22.-James
j. Hill says the railroads OF United
States need 5000, 000, 900 for new roads
and improving the present ones.
Interstate Commerce Commissioners.
Harlan says the country needs $20O.-E
100000 expended In making it's internal
waterways capable to relieving h tre-l
mendous pressure of traffic.
Mr.. Hill complains that there Is not
money enough In h country to make
it possible to meet the requirements OF
the railroads.
Commissioner Harlan thinks there isl
no difficulty about getting the neces-
sary money to meet transportation exi-s
gencies.
why" said the commissioner, who
has recently been investigating the
car shortage and other railroad
troubles, I'VE went to Minneapolis to
the railroads couldn't keep UP with the
development Of business. They told us
of how the railroads used to drive away
the Indians as they advanced their lines
into the wilderness. They were built
far ahead of the demands Of business.
Nowadays, they seem to have taken an
other view Of the situation; business
has grown up to them, and they have
apparently adopted the policy of do
ing their best to care for ii, but aban-
doned the idea of keeping ahead OF 1t.
With Many Ciphers-
1.-THE Northern Pacific, we were told,t
has set aside $40, 900, 900 to pay for
double tracking, new terminals, equip.
ment, everything that the growth of
business has made necessary. The
Pennsylvania, a single o touching
a limited section Of the country, on top
Of h immense investments it has
made in expansion in recent years, has
just announced another addition Of
$500, 00O. 900 to it's capitalization, In or
der to raise money for still more in.
crancao nf itc fn0itittno Mo a. fc1sf n
great amount for a great railroad sys-.
TEN to spend; but uppos such an
amount were devoted to internal water
way improvements. 1t would mean that
the great Mississippi system of rivers
would be made capable of handling the
excess of business that is now crowd
Ing the railroads beyond their capacity.
There is almost no limit to the freight
carrying capacity OF those great
streams, If 1t We're developed by wise
improvement"
This is a far fetched idea, apparently!
in view of the fact that none of the,
present trouble could possibly be
charged in any way to the new rate
law. The rate law didn't shorten the
supply of cars or congest terminals
with them. 1t didn't make fewer en-
gines than there were before. 1t didn't
even make more freight for the rail-
roads to handle, says Mr.. Harlan.
Government Regulation.
There is one feature to President
Hills demand for 5000, 900, 900
however, that is regarded as hav-
ing bearing on the question of govern
ment regulation of railroads. 1t is be-
ginning to be asked whether the man
ayers of the railroads, now fairly en-
tered upon a great epoch of better
ment, extension, rebuilding, shall be
above to raise the money as they
please, and issue whatever capital
ization they like. The impression is in
authoritative government circles, that
the process of injecting water into
railroad securities is being pushed
further and faster by certain interests
than is safe or desirable. 1t is known
that President Roosevelt has had his
own attention attracted to his con-
dition. and hat he considers it grave.
Indeed, there is good authority for
the statement that the president would
be glad to have some legislation passed
which would vest in some government
authority the power to prevent issues
of railroad capital except on assurance
that it was needed and that the money
thus raised would be invested in the
property, and in such a manner as ia
be useful. That there will be recon-
mendation of legislation to this end,
sooner than most people imagine, is
broadly minated.