Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-04-02
lane AN OPTIMIST
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMITS
v sloNER cRITlclsEs ATTITUDE
or RAILROAD MAoNATEs.
ESPECIALLY JAMES ]. HILL
Records Of Earnings Give No Cause
for Wearing Sack-cloth and
Ashes-Predlcts Car Short
age In October.

Washington, Apr. 1.-Franklin X.
Lane, interstate commerce commits
sioner, said Tuesday respecting the
railroad situation In the country as
pictured by James J. Hill, in his New
York interview Of Monday.
"A year ago Mr.. Hill said that the
railroads had failed to meet the traffic
necessities of the country, that there
had been a steady increase In business
which the railroads had not met; and
that It would be necessary to invest
S., 100000, 900 In providing equipment,
double tracks and terminals to handle
the business for the country properly.
And now because for two or three
months the railroads have been able
to handle more business than was Of
Tered them, we are met on all hands
with the cry that the country Is going
to the bowwows. What is the neces-
sity for painting the picture blacker
than 1t is? Does 1t arise out OF the
fact that congress is In session or that
there Is a presidential election i'm
pending?
a tell you frankly do not under
stand the reason why at the time when
railroad credit should be upheld.
those who ought to be most interested
in supporting that credit are lending
their influence to breaking 1t down.
The average monthly receipts from
freight and passenger traffic for each
mile Of the 225,O0O miles of railroad
IN the United States reporting to this
commission for the first seven months
Of this fiscal year was $3.50 which Is
$3.50 per mile per month more this
year than the average for the fiscal
year ending in 1905, the year Of the
last presidential year, which was GER
tainly not regarded as poor year in
the railroad or industrial world. The
net revenue from traffic In the fiscal
year ending in 1908 is $S7 per mile per
month greater than in 1904-5. The net
monthly revenue for this fiscal year Is
thus far 81 less per mile than for the
year l906-7, which may be taken as
highwater mark thus far in the rail-
road history Of the United States.
"While we will this year doubtless
fall behind the revenues OF last year,
there is no reason for wearing sack
cloth and ashes and certainly no pub
lie reason for adding to the evils con-
sequent upon the New York panic by
placing emphasis upon the unfortunate
condition OF certain roads or the gen
eral falling of in traffic as compared
with the high standards Of other years,
which in the very nature OF things
cannot uniformly persist There has
been no industrial panic, and there is
no likelihood Of there being one, UNI
less he morbid microbe that seems to
have laid hold OF our Wall street
fri, nls gets into the blood of the peo'
pie ut large. The railroad manager
who resists the attempt to restore con-
fde. ce can be likened only to the Of.
4cer Of bank who during a run In
forms depositors that he has doubts
OF tie soIvency Of his own institution.
LAS for myself, l stand upon the
prediction that there will be a car
shortage next October"
viii Report Both Bills AdverssIy.
Washington, Apr. 1.-The five Demo