Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-10-22
SHIPPERS PROTEST
ON RAISE OF RATES
Advance Not Justified and Would
Upset Business, Organizations
Declare at Cincinnati Meeting.
Reply to Circular of Officials.

! CINCINNATI. Oct. 20.-That existing
business conditions will be disturbed by
any general advance in freight rates and
that such an advance is not justified and
viii be vigorously contested by the lead
/ ing shippers organizations OF the coun-
! try was the tenor OF resolutions adopted
I late Tuesday at the meeting OF represen-
/ tstives OF shippers and other commercial
organizations from many points OF the
country held i'm the Sinton hotel here.
| The day was devoted to a discussion Of
I the freight situation aud it was deter
mined to at once inaugurate strong
movement In opposition TO the contempla-
Ted advance in rates a committee being
created whose duty il shall be to propa-
gate a campaign OF education Of the pub
lie on freight rates and to have all OF the
powers of the general conference in deal
ing with that subject.
RESOLUTIONS OF PROTEST.
The resolutions adopted were as fol-
lows:
Whereas. AS MIR. c. c. Mccain. chair
man OF the Trunk Line association, COM
posed of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.
Buffalo. Rochester and Pittsburg railroad
and Central Railroad of New Jersey.
Delaware. Lackawanna and Western rail-
road. Erie railroad. Grand Trunk railway,
Lehigh Valley railroad. New York Cen
trail and Hudson River railroad. New
York, Ontario and Western railway.
Pennsylvania railroad. Philadelphia and
Reading railway. Western Maryland rail-
road and West Shore railroad. has COM
piled a pamphlet entitled The Diminish
ed Purchasing Power Of Railway Earn
ings;" and
whereas. Said railroads have assum-
na hn
by circulating same generally among the
public; and
Whereas. The avowed purpose of cir
culsting said pamphlet is to educate the
public; and
Whereas. The true purpose of said
pamphlet is to prepare the public for
contemplated advance in freight rates;
and
Whereas. said pamphlet is biased. par
tial and misleading and gives only sec
ton of the truth bearing on the situa-
ton Dy emitting. among other things, the
following facts and figures:
ARGUMENT AGAINST RAISE.
The net income per mile of railroads i'm
the United States for 1907 exceeds that of
1897 BY S1.534. an increase OF 345 per cent.
The net income per mile of roads i'm
group ] New England) for 1907 exceed
by $40 that of 1S97-an increase OF Il per
cent.
The net income per mile OF roads il
group trunk line territory for 1907 ex-
ceeds that for 1897 by s2.s25-an increase Of
'1TO per cent.
The net income per mile OF the roads
lin group C. F. A. territory for 1907
exceed that Of 1897 by $1Oe5-an increase
of 81 per cent.
The surplus from operations Of roads
in group for 1907 was s25s per mile great
er than the net income Of the roads in
said group for 1897.
the United States for 1907 was SAG. 461, 1855:
for 1897, ss1.251.505: excess 1907 over 1897,
ssss. 26s So an increase of 453 per cent
The surplus from operations of all the
railroads in the United States for 1907
exceeded the net income for 1897 by $50
.OssT
The amount Of stock paying dividends
increased from s.. e05.549 s7s in 1897 to "a
SIS 75s. 2OS in 1907. an increase Of 1895 2O6,-
'22s
The rate Of dividend on stock increased
from 5.4S per cent in 1887 to s.2S per cent
in 1907. en- increase Of 147 per cent.
The revenue per train mile. all trains
Of the railroads in the United States for
1877 was 1855.
COST OF OPERATION.
The average cost of running train one
mile. all trains, for the same year was
|s2.9
Profit 45s per mile. -
The revenue per train mile. all trains
'of the railroads in the United States fnr
1917 was s2.177.
The average cost OF running a train one
mile. all trains. for the same year, was
S1.4T
Profit. 7o.7 cents per mile.
For 1907 the profit per train mile. all
trains. exceeded the profit for 1897 by 254
cents per mile. an increase Of 56 per cent.
Now. therefore. be it resolved by ship
pers from all sections of the United
States, in conference assembled:
First. that SIS said pamphlet does not
set forth all the essential facts and is
biased and misleading. said document is
not a proper one for educating the public
and does not fairly set forth the full in
formation 10 which the public is entitled
Second. that the facts do not justify any
general advance i'm freight rates. but, on
the contrary. call for a reduction thereof.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
Third. that an executive committee of
this conference be. and the same is here
by. created with all the powers of this
conference. and with full power 10 act
during any recess thereof.
Fourth. that said executive committee
be. and II is hereby, instrurted TO prepare
q fun and complete answer TO said pam
phlet or some other similar pamphlets,
and to circulate the same for the educa-
tion of the public. as TO the true freight
rstel situation and for the further pur-
pose Of correcting any erroneous impress
sion that may have resulted from said
pamphlet. or other pamphlets of a sim
liar nature.
Fifth. that as any proposed general sd-
vance in freight rates will disturb exist
ing business conditions. the same is here
by opposed and will be resisted by all
legitimate means.
Sixth. that when this conference adj
iol,rus II does so subject TO the call Of