The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-27
DESTROYING PRosPERITY.
What the bHaA CampaiEm Against tn. RailFeada Means t0 the Countyy.


 What the BEaa CampaiGn Against the
 RsilFeaas Means ts the CouRtyy. New York Sun.
 To the Editor of The Sun--Sir; Prea- ident Harrison in replying te 8 tariH criticism ance said: "A cheap coat makes cheap man." This might just now be changed to "a cheap rate makes e cheap railroad"
 This country is suffering from a fool ish demand for lower freight and pas senger rates. As a matter of fact. 1t really needs higher rates. For yeara railroad extensions and improvements have been very largely financed through the issue of new securities. without any idea of thesa new houds ever being redeemed or paid of oIt of earnings. It would have been much better for the country if rates had would have yielded proflts largo enough to take care of much of the improve ment work out of earnings. With freight rates less than one-half as high as in England, where population and trai99c are dense as compared with great distances for freight in this a comparatively sparse population. and country. our people have been clam bring for Still lower rates,
 $NA2AS AOW NEAI ASN EV3QO Au kAN country are keeping up their physical condition. Many of them are rapidly deteriorating and a year hence their tracts will conatst mainly of rotten ties and parallel "streaks of rust" This ia not the fault of the mana CTS. They are bending every effort. stratning every nerve to meet the att- uatton, but with rates so low as to yield little profit and no new money fw absolutely helpless. Laws are beimg enacted and others threatened to com pei the roads to improve their road beds and rolling stock. These improve ments are sadly needed, but will the law makers tell the public where the money is coming from?
 To develop fully the railroad system of the United States to meet the needs of the country would easily require s5, oo8, coo. and within ten years, twice this amount will have to be ex- pended unless our progress is to be halted by lack of tRanspoFtation faaili- ties. It will not be possible to draw such vast sums into railroad invest nents unless the earnings of the roads are large enough to tempt out of its hiding place every Idle dollar. With uRfriendly National and State legiala- ton. aided by some misguided busi- mesa men and others in public life who seem not to realize that 1t Is better facilities and not cheaper rates that are needed, and by demagogues pure and simple. the railroads are being crowded to the wall. Their poverty means the poverty of all classes. Their would mean prosperity for Cheap rates will mean not simply cheap roads but a rapid deter loration of present physical conditions. already bad enough on many roads, disastrous wrecks and freight conges- ton which will cost the whole eoun- Iry many times as much as would high sr rates.
 Teday the roads have a surplus of freight cars, but that Is only tempOr- ary. Even normal business conditions would quickly change that. but the roads are not and cannot as mat .ers now stand keep up their trtek md rolling stock. What. then. are hey going to do when the next burst of industrial activity comes? This burst of activity. of renewed prosper ty. with demand for labor in excess of the supply. would come very quick y to the great blessing of everybody f all the unwise National and State railroad laws of the last few years ,ould be wiped off the statute books. they shall have aboundinR pIOSpeElty m tne near 1uture or stag nation and poverty as at present rests wholly with the American people. If they want prosperity they must right about face. and instead of tearing Town strive to upbuiId the railroad system of the country. Tn doing this they must recognize the conditions. and whatever may have been the sins of omission and commission of railroad people of the past--and they were nany-sink all differences of opinion md unite to make railroad expansion ! possibility.
 In destroying railroad prosperity he politicians have been destroying prosperity.
 Richard IT. Edmonds,
 Ed. Manufact'rs Record
 Baltimore, February {.
 Shipment of Pesos.
 San EraueiHco Rah 9G-Tha wraaR-