Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-01

standpoint of the general public OF
the producer, consumer. and shipper
alike-is the need for better trans
portation facilities. for additional
! tracks, additional terminals. and i'm
provements in the actual handling OF
the railroads; and all this with the
least possible delay. Ample, safe. and
rapid transportation facilities are even
more necessary than cheap transporta-
| tion, The prime heed Is for the In
vestment of money which will provide
better terminal fae Titles, additional
TRACKS, and q greater number of cars
and locomotives, while at the Same
time securing. if possible, better wages
There. must be Just and reasonable reg
ulation Of rates. but any arbitrary and
unthinking movement to cut them
down may be equivalent to putting a
complete stop to the effort to provide
better transportation.
Rebates Must Go.
/ There can be no question as to the
I desirability of doing away with rebates
|.or any method Of favoring one shipper
] at the expense Of competitor. and
direct dealing with the rates is some-
i times the only method by which the
\ favoritism can be avoided; but where
4 favoritism Is not alleged. and when the
I question is markedly one Of getting {
lower rate, It must be remembered that
lit is often possible that those demand :
: ing 1t may be dianetrlcally opposed
! in interest to those who demand bet
i ter safer, and more rapid transportay
4 ton service, and higher wages and
4 shorter hours for employees II the de-
/ rnand for more taxes, for higher wages
J lower rates becomes SO excessive as to
prevent ample and speedy transporta-
ton, and to eat UP the legitimate PROF.
! its; if popular and legislative move.
rnents take shape SO ill-directed as
not only to threaten honest invest.
to prevent any effort for the better
n1ent Of transportation facilities, it
then becomes out Of the question I,
: secure the necessary investment OF
! capital In order to bring about an I'M
: proved service. Rates should not be
; ough safeguarding against accidents;
i there should be no improper Sinking
Of taxes; the shippers of the country
must be supplied generously with
! cars and all other equipments neces-
3 sary to properly care for our COM
j merce, and all this means that the ma
tional government must be given full
: and effective power Of supervision and
al control. But the interests Of those
I who build. who manage, and who in
vest in the railroads must be no less
9 scrupulously guarded than the interests
1 of the public 1t Is urgently necessary
: at the present time. in order to relieve
O do away with the paralysis which
! threatens our expanding Industries, be.
. cause Of limited and inefficient means
D of distribution, that our railway facil-
4 tiles should be SO increased as to meet
n the imperative demands Of our inter
! nal commerce. The want can be me-
II only by private capital, and the vas
n expenditure necessary for such pur.
pose will not be incurred unless prt
waite capital is afforded reasonable IN.
centive and protection. 1t is there
y fore a prime necessity to allow invest
! ments in railway properties to earn
% liberal. return, return sufficiently lib
: : eral to cover all risks. We can not ge
Is an improved service unless the car
riers Of the country can sell their Sc
l. curities; and therefore nothing shoult
- be done fundamentally to impair thei
l. credit nor to decrease the value o
= their outstanding obligations.
- I emphatically believe that positiv
~ =. restraint should be imposed upon rail
=, way corporations, and that they shout
~ be required to meet positive obliga
Is tiors in the interest of the genera
=, public. I no less emphatfcally believ
- that in thus regulating and controllin
~ the affairs of the railways it Is neces
]. sary to recognize the need of an i'm
-, mense outlay of money from privat
- sources, and the certainty that this wi
= not be met without the assurance {
sufficient reward to induce the neces
% sary investment. 1t is plainly inadvis
IS able for the government to undertak
=. to direct the physical operation OF tn
~ railways, save in wholly exceptions
- cases; and the supervision and contr.
=. 1T exercises should be both entfrel
~ adequate to secure It's ends, and yet n
10 more harrassing than Is necessary
~ secure these ends.
" Railroads Realize Responsibility.
= = believe that the railroad men of tt
- United States are coming to MOI
a. perfect sense Of the responsibility
=, the relation which they bear to IL
,1s public, and of the dignity Of that rels
q a ton. They are public servants in tt
n, highest and fullest sense. Indeed, the
~ Is not brakeman nor a switchman III
= on the most remote road in the lar
WI who does not fill a public function al
i, render a service Of large public us
"a fulness. We begrudge neither hon
- nor reward to these men to whom Y
ne Behind these active workers in Il
'as railroad field are those who have Il
lot determination Of railroad policie
'nt These men are entitled to great r
~ wards; and in return public opinion
'ne right in holding them to a rigid a
sh1 countability for the way they perfor
pe their public duties. For several mont
lsr nast some. If NOT all of our roads ha
eff baan IN condition of ey+ren,e co
Or" gestion. Doubtless this is mainly d
M to the fact that the country has OF
IS. crown it's railroads. that our prospect
.ulil has increased at such q rate that t
OF most sanguine and optimistic railroa
our have hene unable to keep pace with
lch growth Rut If is also true that orc
emf nary methods Of operation, which he
err good in a placid time of steady a
regular movement should at time