The Columbus journal., 1908-05-20
DISTRIBUTORS or WEALTH


save three minutes; the Santa Fespent
SO, OOO, 900 on the Belen cutoff in
order to save seven minutes; the New
York Central spent 81 !O00, 900 TO save
two minutes on the Spuyten-Duyvil
cutoff; Hartman, on the Lucin cut
off across Salt Lake spent $4,000, 900
to save two hours, and the Baltimore
& Ohio spent $1,000, 900 for q tunnel
near Baltimore to save fifteen minutes.
Willets, in his article in Leslies
Weekly, from which the above figures
were taken, does not mention the Lane
cutoff between Fremont and Omaha
which will cost the U. P. company be-
tween two and three million dollars.
"A careful counting up of the cost
of railroad improvements, new roads
and railroad development, that had
been planned for the next ten years"
writes Mr.. Willets, Shows . total of
"a, 600. 100000. Now they are aban-
doning those costly plans, pending the
return to common sense on the part Of
the politicians who regard anti-rail-
road legislation as . stepfather to pub.
lie Office. Meantime the fact remains
that the nation is most vide awake,
most rich, most powerful, most pro-
gressive, whose railroads are the best
and most extended. We're it among
nations because we've got half the
total railway mileage Of the world
100000 miles; while Asia, with her
mere 10000 miles of railroads, is least
prosperous. Note how the three rich
est states are those richest in railways.
Illinois alone has 1900 miles of rail.
way; Pennsylvania, II 900; New York,
5000; Vanderbilt lines serve 10000
miles of territory; Pennsylvania lines,
10000; Hartman system, 25, 900; Hill
lines, 1900, and 80 on through the
country are railroads running 5000
locomotives and $4,000 passenger cars
and 100000 freight cars carrying
last year the stupendous productions
of factory and mine and soil represent
ed by railroad freight tonnage4of
nearly two billion TONS"
While railway corporations, like In
dividuals, are selfish, yet, on the other
hand. they are a public necessity and
should not be subject to unjust legisla-
ton or compelled to reduce freight
rates below a basis that would not
warrant the payment Of fair dividends
to stockholders, and reasonable wages
to employees. 1t appears to be = pop
ular fad, at present, for politicians to
lambast the railways and other corpo-
rations for all our national ills, real
and fancied. .'s
Mr.. Bryan wants the government to
spend ten or twelve billion dollars in
in buying up al the railway lines in
the country, and thus remove the rail-
way question from politics. President
Roosevelt is not in favor of Bryan's
idea, but insists that the government
should control, but not own the rail-
way lines. To q certain extent the
government should control railway
corporations, but not to the extent
advocated by the extremists whose
policy, if adopted, would paralyze bus
iness. The state of Nebraska has
already reduced passenger fare in the
state from three to two cents, and the
railway companies are obeying the law.
The Journal does not presume to know
just how cheap the railways of Ne
braska can carry freight and still pay |
fair dividends, reasonable wages to
continue to keep the road |
he'd in repair and meet other necessary |
expenses. It is evident, however, that |
further reduction in the receipts of |
the several railway lines traversing |
the state would mean . reduction in |
the wages of all employees.
Anticipating that such would be the
case, the railway employees of the state
have organized the Railway EN-
ployees Protective Association. Mem
bers representing the association are
circulating petitions throughout the
state asking that the State Railway
Commission refrain from making any
further reduction in freight rates at
the present time. The employees feel
that they are justified in the course
hey have taken. Many of the train
men and shopmen are now idle or
working on part time, and they realize
hat . reduction in freight rates means
cut in wages.
THE ATCHZNON IDEA.