Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-23
RATES NOT TOO HIGH
Advanced Railway Tariff Ben
eficiaI, Speakers Say.
SURE ROAD TO PROSPERITY
Addresses at Banquet Of Railway
Business Association.
COST OF TRAFFIC DISCUSSED
Argued That Roads Should Have
Adequate Returns If Country
Would Grow.

AhdPP, vi Tic luIGISL2t0 COlH
nerce commission; Daniel Willard. presi-
dent Of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad,
and John Clafiin. president OF the II. r..
Clafiin Company. were the principal
speakers at the annual dinner Of the
Railway Business Association. held last
night at the Waldorf-Astoria- The ban
quet was the sequel 70 the second annual
business meeting and election OF officers.
held yesterday.
At the day meeting members OF the
association expressed approval OF the
pending freight rate advances. and ad-
vised a quick settlement Of the contrc-
versy for the good Of the general business
interests of the country.
George A. Post Of New York. president
of the association. said the association
had, through its executive committee,
worked against the plan OF blanket oD-
position to freight rate advances by those
who had not studied conditions closely.
Executive Committee Report.
A. H. Mulliken OF Chicago. vice prssi-
dent of the association. presented the re-
port of the executive committee Oh
freight rates now before the interstate
commerce commission for consideration.
The delay in deciding the rate issue. says
the committee may mean distress to rail-
way supply industries.
"While our establ .shments are new
busy" says the report, 1.-THE fact etares
us in the face that few OF US have booked
any coIisi.,. aoie C.Lers In sev.,ai mon.ns,
and this dearth OF orders, IL continued y
few weeks more would see factories shut
ting down and men thrown out OF work
We have still fresh In our memories the
disaster of 1908. when, at one time. CO.
QUO men usually employed making things
for railways were walking the streets. A
group of industries employing l.SOOOOo
operatives, with q capitai invested OF
more than a billion dollars. and paving
not face a collapse OF business without
grave apprehension. .
'"The merchants want. OF course. the
best rate they can get for the transporta-
ton they use. but recently many OF them
seem to be thinking more about the quail
ity Of the service and more about the
prosperity of the railways and allied M
dustries and less about the rate. We be-
lieve this is the broad American ue~'
and it should be the aim Of our aseoeia-
ton to win converts to that attitude
Views of Chairman Knapp.
Chairman Knapp. in his speech at the
banquet. said:
eff our country is to grow and prosper
we must have railway earnings suficient
for three things:
''FYrst-A return on railway invo0t
ments of such amount and so well AZ
sured as to attract the necessary capita
to improve existing roads and construct
thousands Of miles Of new lines In fruit
full districts now destitute OF any means
of transportation. Since II Is our ma
tional policy-and long will be. trust
to rely upon private capital and private
enterprise to provide these great high
ways of commerce. must we not Ia the
larger public interest, whatever may De
thought by this or that shipper. make
the business Of furnishing railroad trans
portation SO desirable to the investor
that The necessary funds for betterments
and extensions will be forthcoming, and
so attractiv, as a vocation that the high
est ability will be employed In Its man
agement? Otherwise. must not our coun-
try come measurably to standstill and
face a future of comparative stagnatton?
"Second-The payment of hb.ral wages
to an adequate number OF competent
men-this not only to insure increasing
skill and relia bility, but also because o.
upon compensation Of labor in private
employment.
"Third-The betterment OF existing lines
without unnecessary increase in capitali-
zation Every dollar borrowed to i'm
prove a road now in operation involves a
which the public is required to pay; the
from current earnings puts
no lien upon the property. but by adding
to the security of the capital ALREADY In
vested tends to a lower rate OF interest
upon that capital. This means q national
policy In respect of nai.road rates and
revenues In harmony with our national
policy in other matters. Is IL not In this
part cular field wise and patriotic pol
icy?"