The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-16
RAILROAD NEWS
Pres dent Ripley Writes of
Future Cf the Santa Fe.
All Proposed Combinations Are
Impracticable.
PEOPLE ALONG ROAD
Are the Arbiters of the Roads
Future Greatness.
Hopes ITO Live to See Double
Traak 70 nodro C;k- 3,
PEOPLE ALONG ROAD
Hopes ITO Live to See Double
Track to Dodge City,"


of the Santa Fe Employees Magazine
under the heading, 1.-The Future of the
Atchison," in which he reDlies 10 n
Santa Fe article in the previous issue
of that magazine by Frank H Spear
man, the celebrated writer of railroad
'stories.
President Ripley, after logically,
showing the impracticability of the
proposed combination of the Santa Fe
with either the Rock Island or Penn
sylvania lines says:
The Atchison is the largest indepen-
dent railroad in the world and as Mr..
Spearman APPLY puts it, is the one big
red apple still left on the railroad tree"
Year by year it continues to grow big
ger and redder, gradually attaining
such proportions as 20 make it prac-
tically impossible for any single inter
est to obtain control. ] have little fear
that the future of the Atchison lies in
road. in it's absorption by an eastern
company or in it's domination by any
single interest.
My belief is that the future of the
Atchison is indissolubly welded with
the future of the country that it serves.
We now operate in twelve states and
territories containing hundreds Of
thousands of acres badly in need of
additional transportation facilities. The
Santa Fe has always stood ready to
supply these needs as soon as cOndi-
lions would justify fair return on
the money invested, and frequently
thousands of dollars have been invest
ed where no adequate returns could
possibly be made for many years. A
dozen branch lines in Kansas should
be extended Oklahoma should have
hundreds of additional miles of rail-
road, as should also Texas, but when
these states deliberately pass laws to
increase the operating expenses of rail-
roads and decrease their earnings to
such an extent as to make it most
difficult thing to pay small rate OF
| interest on the money invested-when
they resort to such measures as are
well calculated to shake the confidence
of the investing public to such an ex-
| tent as to make it a matter of great dit
| fculty to raise money for improvements
and extensions-railroad building In
these states must stop, not in retalia-
ton but as a natural sequence In the
year ending June go 1907. the most
prosperous in the history of the COM
pany, the earnings We're but 6h per
cent on the total capitalization. In the
year ending June 80, 1908 they were
approximately 51k per cent. Obviously
this is not a safe margin. especially
if we are to keep up the property and
make those improvements which our
patrons demand.
Before the blighting influence of the
panic was felt last fall 1 made the re-
mark that would not advise the Atch-
ison to spend any money for construc-
ton purposes in those states that had
been actively engaged in passing dras-
| tic anti-railroad legislation. l was gro
tesquely misquoted and sarcasticaHy
censured for my statement, Whlcn was
not made in a spirit of vind1ctiveness
| but which was merely the conclusion
of a business man acting In the best
interests of the property intrusted TO
his care. If by any good fortune there
should be placed at my disposal fund
of $40. 1000 900 for the purchase OF ROADS
already built or for the construction or
| new lines or extensions, I could make
my choice in twelve states in which the
| santa Fe operates, and If your readers
could see all the propositions that are
from time to time presented TO
road like the santa re Ine5s
would be no doubt in their minds
as TO the number of really de-
| sirabIe places in which the money
could be invested. 1 would be false TO
NV trust should 1 not endeavor to PICK
ont those which offered the best and
| safest returns just as one would be
false TO himself if he did not invest
his savings in such way as to bring
| the best and safest returns
The construction of several hun
dreds of miles of road in Oklahoma
| had been recommended and work mao
!
! two-cent law and other anu-railroao
| legislation made it not only expedlen'
| but absolutely necessary TO drop the
undertaking, and since then nelthe1
the Santa Fe nor any other ROAD mas
built a mile of railway in that state
"a purely business-like and logical
| outcome. The short line southeast
| from Texico, n. M, is awaiting con-
| struction, as are also several othei
| projects, but who snail say Wnen
| The AtPhi-
| SON stands more than ready to under
| take the work just as soon as IL car
nroduce the money and conditions In
| the country warrant a 1alr return Oh
the capital Investigated. These con
| ditions are subject to the will or the
people. ., hi,h
| makes it impossible to extend or I'M
| proye the Santa Fe we must Simply
| operate as best we can the properly
| we now have, without thougnt OF e. *
/ tension and very little change Tor I'M
i movement but 1 have sufficient faith
Il in the Justice and business aptitude OF
Il the people in our western states &c
Il feel that they will not suffer them
selves much longer TO De hoou-
winked by crafty politicians who nave
gained political preferment by their
Il ability to harass the railroads in times
II have desired to live long enough
to see the Santa Fe doubled tracked a,
II least as far as Dodge City ano
II wellington, as well as between Al
II buqueroue and Ash Fork. or perhaps
II beyond. with ample equipment TO care
III for a much larger traffic than II na'
ever carried Whether or not thi'
1 dream shall be realized depends
| mainly on the people along the line
/ If they want good service they mus
pay for it as they would pay. for an,
other good article we can give tnen
the very best, but not unless we car
get our shareholders to provide funds
which. of course, they will not do un
der present conditions.
would therefore repeat that not II
a western consolidation, not In al
eastern combination nor in the contro
of the road by single interest lie