The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1908-11-21

| railroad commissioner to the genera
offices of a small railroad many hun
bred miles from this city. After golns
over the accounts of the railroad com
pany and finding them y. K he point
ed to the balance sheet and said: "Yol
are making too much money; too mucf
money.O That illustrates the kind OF
supervision that L fear is becoming toe
popular and the kind of regulation
which seems to me may deprive
railroads of protection of their common
property rights.
Such agencies as this Congress can
and l hope will, be effective as a means
of disseminating the truth concerning
the carriers rights and needs as wei
as the rights and demands of the peopl
The territory represented by this
Congress is the larger part, and daily
is becoming a more important part OF
our country. Its area is over two NH
lion square miles-about sixty percent
of the area of the United States, exclu-
sive of Alaska and the insular posses
siors. Its growth in wealth, in popuia-
ton, in all the products of civilization,
furnishes a remarkable chapter In his
tory. Such conventions as this show
the desire and purpose of the people III
the Trans-M Mississippi territory to do
nothing to retard and to leave nothing
undone that viii promote its further
PROCESS.
1t goes without saying that u en-
deayors must be honest. I firmly be-
lieve that they must be cooperative. In
using the term cooperative have
in mind the relations of the railroads
with the general public, the essential
interdependenee of which l have JUST
spoken. That interdependence does not
exclude the ordinary features OF ex-
cbange-buying and selling. 1t should
prevent fair competition, nor should
it forbid curbing by Law the unjust use
of power by capital or by labor, by cor
porations or by individuals; but it does
to a wise, a just and generous
public sentiment the inexpediency 81
making any person or class of persons
in firms or in eorporations-the foot
ball of what is called politics, and 1t
does forbid treating any such as a sort
of industrial FrankensteIn. Now please
do not mistake the intent or spirit of
that remark. 1t is not a complaint; not
even a protest. 1t is simply the though.
of one whose employment, and ambi-
ton, and pride is inwrought with what
is understood to be the object of this
The several sides of a square are
equal. A deal implies at least two par
ties. A 'fsquare deal'' means that the
deal must be fair to. both, or each and
rar+r 80 - Tba% sc oil Won Wanr.
that is all we shall ever contend for as
men dealing with the public.
Our government acquired nearly
.hree-fourths of this Trans-Mississippi
country by purchase, paving therefor
an aggregate of fifty-three and q
lnarter millions-not quite five and
me half cents per acre. The land ae-
3uired by treaty was, probably, no more
md no less valuable than that when
was bought. The approximate total
cost then was seventy-three million
Its estimated value now, ae-
TO the Bureau of the Census, Is
and one-half billions, or +4J
its value when the United States
acquired it. and 600 times as much as
he cost of that which vas purchased.
This Increase in value is marvellous. Ii
be duplicated in the history OF
ne world. II reflects the greatest credit
ipon the energy and enterprise of those
VINO have come from all parts Of the
.arth TO this section to till its farms,
work its mines and build its cities
The transeontinental railroad lines,
II rather the one described as having
'een first completed, as you all know,
at least, was built by the
id of the general government. The
States advanced large sums OF
money to the companies which pro-
noted and built these roads, but do YOU
what is true, that the last dollar
f those advances has been returned 10
he government, with INTEREST," You
that the congress, In aid of the
q v every odd section of gov
rnment land within twenty miles OF
ne completed road. The government
rice for the land was s1.25 an acre,
,ut do you know what is also true. that
he price of the adjoining sections, re
by the government, was imme-
doubledf Do you know that
he government reserved the right to
the rates to be charged for trans
,or.ation service performed by it by
hese land grant roads. and has exer-
sed that right by paying only half OF
he going ratesY That is likewise a
'eet. Do yon also know what IS
lemonstrable, that the saving to the
government in the cost of ~transporta-
lon and in the cost of caring for and
the Indian tribes, by the
and operation of these
ines, will aggregate much more than
he sums advanced to these companies.
With interest compounded annually
These questions are asked and an
TO stimulate pride in the ad-
ninistration OF our government as a
narvelously successful trader; to ex-
press my qualification in the payment
# the debt, which / believe will be
gratifying 10 you, and to record
NY wondering admiration of the pre-
of our forefathers, going back
10 the senatorial days of Thomas II.
Benton.
/ believe that the opportunity for
Industrial development through these
a of transportation - the
interchange bv an increasingly great