Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-15
PLEA FOR LOWER TAXATION
Railroads Insist Decreased Earning
Warrants Such Action.
FIGURES FOR THE PRESENT YEAR
L. II. GiddinEs, who Claims To BE
President of n Dakota Railroad,
Arrested in Des Moines rs
a VaErant.
CFrom a statr correspondent

u lDAAA n 1AoAA
DIES MONIES. July 1A-(special)-That
the campaign against the railroads has
gone far enough and that in view of pros
pective and present times, a presidential
year and the surety Of a revision of the
tariff. 1t should be relaxed, was the bur
den of the argument by railroad representa-
tives to the executive council against a
farther increase in the railroad assessment.
Every representative who appeared before
the council today argued that his road is
now losing money and most Of them quoted
the figures for the first five or six months
OF 1908, which figures are not required to
be given in their report to the council, to
show that they are losing money.
Carroll Wright for the Rock Island and
]. c. Davis for the Northwestern submitted
written arguments which were left with
the council. Mr.. Wright said that II the
taxes Of his road were decreased $4,000 II
would be a mere bagatelle for the state
as compared to the benefit that would ac-
crue to the railroads If the word were sent
out that the state was not going to stick
the knife into the railroads." He quoted
figures to show that his road began to
fall off in gross earnings last September
and that 1t had continued through the first
half Of this year. He said the time had
come to call a halt and that the business
depression would be immensely relieved IL
the council would deal with clemency this
year.
j. c. Davis for the Northwestern rgued
that the presidential year, the pledge OF
both parties to a reduction of the tariff
and the business depression all argued for
conservatism. The reports of the railroads
submitted to the council show the condition
NJ tho roada M 70 Iaptory I Last ana fh.
assessment to be made is supposed to be
based on the condition of the roads then,
but most of the representatives gave figures
on the business for the first half of this
year as a further argument against an in
crease.
w. W. Baldwin reported for the Burling-
ton that his road in freight receipts up to
July l is $4,000 short of what it was for
the same months last year. Mr.. Davis for
the Northwestern reported that for the
total gross earnings in Iowa his road was
500, 900 short of the same months last year
and that for the entire system 1t was
100000 short for the first five months.
Carroll Wright for the Rock Island re-
ported that his road had fallen off 81, 1885, 600
in five months on the entire system and
said that the road had been forced to cut
down its operating expenses by discharging
employees and in other ways to the extent
of $4,000 in May.
Governor Cummins called the attention Of
the roads to the fact that on their reports
for the year 1907 the operating expenses
showed a much larger increase than the
gross earnings, showing that though the
business had increased but little the ex-
pense of handling the business had in
creased much and had increased in greater
proportion than the business done. He
asked for explanations, which none seemed
able to give, and the governor intimated
that they might have charged amounts to
operating expenses that should have gone
to construction.
The hearings will be continued tomorrow.
George S. Wright of Council Bluffs. who
is here to appear before the council for the
Union Pacific, spoke this afternoon. He
is accompanied by A. w. Scribner and A.
II. Scribner of Omaha.
Pass Case Appeal Is Perfected.