The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-29


 ] and new and heavier equipment pro- l vided on a scale that had never been
 anticipated; and before this recon 1 struction work was completed, the
 ever increasing demand had outgrown i the enlargements. It was then realized ] that a railroad never Is completed and
 never can be completed it cannot stand l still but must continue to expand and 1 improve and keep pace with the growth
 of the country 1t serves.
 Third Period.
 "The third period is the period of governmental control and interference. If the legislatures of the country, after l passing laws to stamp out rebates, and 1 protect the public from fictitious issues of securities, and making the affairs 1 of every railroad public property.
 through standardizing accounts, had
 stopped there no evil would have been
 done; but the pendulum of public opin- ion continued to swing until many ill.,
 advised and hurtful laws were passed in various parts of the country.
 ''The railroads are entitled to fair
 price for what they have to sell, which
 Is transportation, just as any other cor poration or merchant. In the face of increased cost of operation and main tenance, and with widespread demands for extensions and betterments their rates have been gradually going down.
 In the last 10 years the price of farm products have increased 25 per cent and the price of food has increased nearly 9 per cent, but the average freight | rate has decreased more than IS per cent
 Answer to Problem.
 "The only answer to this problem Is that the railroads must get more for what they have to sell, the same as with any other business. under proper
 regulations. It does not help a situa-
 tion for one party to sin because an- other party has sinned, or Is thought
 to have sinned. What we want now is honesty and fair dealing on both sides,
 and I tell you frankly that there can be no continued prosperity in any part of the country if the transportation
 interests are unfairly dealt with. Polit ical pigmies when In power can easily
 legfslate money out of corporations,
 but the political giants of all the giants
 cannot legislate money into corpora tions. In this period of business de-
 pression the railroads should be pre-
 pairing for the return of industrial ac- tiyity. But not a mile of new track is being laid, nor is any equipment be- ing purchased that is not absolutely
 essential to the present needs of the roads. Improvements involving hun
 dreds of millions have been abandoned because of the vengeful spirit that has temporarily possessed the minds of men whose duty it is to carefully consider
 proposed legislation.
 Fear of Railroads.
 "The greatest menace today to a con- tinuance of our country's growth, and fI.< ,,f1 kI,k
 anything else to retard the return of
 prosperity, is the fear on the part of the
 people who own the railroads that the operation of their properties will be taken out of the hands of the trained
 men who are now directing them and turned over to boards or commissions, whether national, state municipal, who will exercise full authority without the slightest financial responsibility. Though disagree entirely with his theories I have respect for the honest socialist just as I respect an honest minister without regard to his creed. The honest socialist | believes in government ownership and operation of the railroads and had the | courage of his convictions. He wants to 1 buy all of the roads at fair price and | have them operated by officers elected l by the people, He will be accountable 1 to the people, as stockholders. But what | shall he or peOple WnO, Wnll6 IrOWn- l ing on socialism or protesting to stand in | horror of 1t, demand that the railroads | shall be placed under control of comfnis- l sioners who will take away from the l officers of these properties, elected by | the stockholders, the right to operate l them? If this proceeding, under the guise | of law, is not taking away property with | out compensation. in violation of our con- 1 stitutional rights, what is it?
 | Honest Laws.
 1 "Honestly conceived laws to compel a 1 service that will meet with the reason | able approval of the patrons of road
 and prevent discriminations, stock-water-
 ing and stock jobbery are right and prop
 CT. but to go far beyond that and impose | unreasonable burdens and unfair restric- | tions looks to the defeat of the very pur- i nose which 1t Is sought to attain.
 we have before us an illustration or what even a temporary cessation of the transportation development of the coun- l try means A year ago there were l. l CTS, 900 railroad employees in active service l and they received nearly SLIGO, ,000,OOO In
 wages during the year, according to sta tistics collected by the government. Full 1 ly ne-quarter of these men are now ldle | at loss in wages approximating $l,ooo'- | GOO for every working day A year ago the railroads were spending H,25o,ooooo l for supplies now they are spending not more than $500. .000 900. This means Iaii-