The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-07

I'VE shall see the downfall of the re-
public" Mr.. Ripley replied, without
any show of feeling. "You know it,"
! he said, turning to me and speaking
| emphatically. Every thoughtful and
intelligent man knows it," he added
Government ownership of our rail-
| roads, in the present state of our pol
| itics. and with our present kind of
public men. would cause the downfall
of the nation. 1 have carefully gone
/ over the matter in my own mind and
am expressing my. deliberate judg-
ment.
YES" Mr.. Ripley went on to say.
IT have lived through changes of
methods IN the operation of railroads
and through changes of public senti-
| ment toward the railroads. Some one
has said that man is only grateful for
what he expects. and not for what he
has already obtained. To the lonely
farmer, with only wagon and a yoke
of oxen, or team of horses for his
freight, and a drive of many weary
miles to market. the coming of a rail-
road was blessing longed for and
joyfully accepted. Corn and wheat,
by the magic of quick, cheap and easy
transportation, could be exchanged for
shoes, cloth and the common essentials
useless was put to the plow. The
value of property was multiplied
many times.
Managers of railroads understood
that they needed loads for their emp
ty cars. They were business men and
not philanthropists. but their work
was highly beneficial to mankind, just
the same. Every constructive blow
they struck for their roads helped
those who lived or owned land or |
were engaged in business along their !
lines The Santa Fe company, typical |
of large railroad corporations in gen.
eral, has colonization agents to bring
new men into new communities and |
barren stretches int
gardens and blooming fields. Dry |
farming is being taught by scientific |
agriculturists and occasionally mon
ey is loaned for the purchase of |
an industrial department, that capital !
and opportunity may be combined to
build factories, open mines and give
remunerative employment to willing
men.
Helps Develop Industries.
1--WE helped to develop the manufac-
ture of cement in the eastern tier of
counties of Kansas. There were lime
stone and gas in that part of the
country, cheap material and fuel, and
when the gas gave out there was
plenty of oil. More cement is being
produced in Kansas than is being
produced anywhere else, so I am told.
1t has been the same with sugar. In
Pueblo, in Colorado, were hundreds of
thousands of rich acres, dead, how
ever, for the want of rain. We en-
couraged irrigation projects at time
when every one knew much less about
digging bitches than is the case at
present. Waste land became produc-
tive, and five modern plants are man
ufacturing sugar in that region today.
Farmers are making money on beets,
the proprietors of the factories are
getting a profit on their sugar, and the
Santa Fe railroad is hauling the
freight.
gers of our transportation systems
have been busy in developing the COM
merce, the agriculture and the indus
tries of the nation, politicians in our
state legislatures and in congress have
been hectoring US with injurious
legislation-and enactfng 1t into law
at times-and inflaming the passions
of the people against US and the in
terests we represent. When we say
that our business cannot stand the
persecution of the politician we are
accused of lying, even. though the
government sends 4kents into our Of
fees and knows all the facts from an
examination Of our books Everything
we have sid about the increase of
our expenses and the decrease of our
profits can be proved by our records
and by the agents of the government,
who, as I said, have access to all the
figures and Information concerning our
business. Can you doubt that the
men with money invested in our rail-
roads and the men charged with the
responsibility of managing our rail-
roads take a pretty gloomy view of
the future?''
Denies Giving Rebates.
at is said in Washington that re-
bates are now being given to some
shippers in the form of money paid
for alleged damages or delays to goods
in transit 1 said.
1--WE are not doing anything of the
kind" Mr.. Ripley answered. Nor do
1 believe other roads are guilty of the
practice. Relating began when it
seemed logical and just, from the
shippers viewpoint, and the wholesale
purchasers of transportation should
be given a discount, as was the rule
in all lines of business. A man who
bought a carload of salt got a reduc-
ton in price as against the man who
bought but a single barrel of salt.
There were plenty of railroad
managers, however, who never ac-
cepted the principle in its application
to transportation. They could look
ahead and see the time when big
manufacturers and merchants enjoy
ing the advantages of rebates would
drive the little manufacturers and