Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-11-20
HILL SCORES
IGNORANT
CRITICS
NORTHWEST BUILDER
DEFENDS RAILROADS
Declares That Transportation
System of United States is
the Greatest Achievement in
History of World.
IBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wire ]

Iby uorhtnk Soufnht cpetfat Aoaseu WIZ.
Kansas Citv Nov. 19.-JamesS J
Hill. of St. Paul, executive head OF
the Great Northern Railway, was the
principal speaker at the 18th annual
banquet of the Commercial club in
this city tonight.
Mr.NHill discussed the commercial
development of the Mississippi Val
ley" and gave comprehensive his
tory and review of Industrial condi-
tions as they exist today.
Mr.. Hill said in part
Z''The transportation facilities of the
whole country are, and have been. un-
equal to its present means. They
must be made equal to the burdens
they bear or the country cannot pros
per.
How far railroad construction has
been unable to keep pace with the do
nestle commerce the country even
now does not realize.
Railroad managements have met
the situation by every effort to increase
equipment and increase efficiency In
operation. In both directions what
they have accomplished is little short
of wonderful. Everything that avail
able capital, ingenuity, cheap service,
high priced labor and skillful manage
ments can accomplish has been done.
The problem that remains is both
physical and financial. To bring con-
struction up to the needs of our inn
mense domestic commerce. and to
raise the necessary snoney to do this
IL both or either of these is impossi-
BILE, IL Is not the fault of the railway
system. And only gross ignorance of
The truth or the malice of disturbers,
can ignore the plain and true facts.
Only by improved methods of opera
tion has the country been saved from
such a blockade of traffic as would
have destroyed business activiay or
turned II into game of confusion and
chance.
This achievement in connection
with a constant reduction of rates that
has brought the average per mile for
each passenger i'm the country in the
last ten years to about cents and the
freight rate to 20 cents per ton per
mile, a saving that amounts to billions
OF dollars In The aggregate, VIII De
better appreciated after a comparison
between the statistics of railroads in
the United States and the systems of
other countries.
"The percentage Of net earnings
available for distribution on the capi-
talized cost Of the railroad systems of
England is W per cent, In France 4,
in Germany 6. The average of this Is
Az per cent on a much higher capi-
talization per mile, amounting in Eng
land to over four times as much. The
total dividends declared by all the
railroads of the United States in 1906
were out per cent of the total capital
stock outstanding. on over 33 per
cent of outstanding stock no dividends
whatever were paid.
ANY other business is judged by its
average returns. The railroad system
OF this country is not failure, as has
been charged by men who are with
out knowledge of the facts and whose
opinion Is consequently of no value.
on the contrary, IL Is, when judged by
results by official records. perhaps
the most conspicuous success achieved
in the development of the United
States. Costing but from one-fourth
TO one-half as much as the SYSTEM OF
other countries, and charging rates
from one-half to One-third as great. II
eerries nearly double the business psr
mile and pays twice the rates of
wages Few inventions produced by
American genius. probably no other
Industry founded and perfected By
American enterprise can show COM
parative record which in the essentials
of practical value so distances all com
PARSONS. Under conditions most diff
ficult we have created a transportation
system at lowest irst-cost which gives
the most efficient serviee to the pub
lie at the lowest charge and pays its
employees the highest known scale OF
wages.