The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-08
RIPLEY
IS PESSIMISTIC
Santa Fe Head Says Railroad
Is the Goat
RATES MUST ADVANCE
Ripley Declares That Proposed Rail-
road Bill Takes Control of Roads
without Comforting Owner
ship Upon Government

New York June Edward Payson
Ripley, president of the Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe, one of the western railroad
executives who was in conference last
night with President Taft, gave out the
following statement on the results of the
conference:
IF every increase thus far filed at
Washington were allowed to go into effect
in full, they would not justify the rail-
roads in going ahead with the improve
ments they have planned The increases
enjoined were but a drop in the bucket
The raises asked for the "a western roads
were almost imperceptible. They must
be followed by much larger increases if
railroading is to be profitable.
THE conference with the President has
not cleared matters, although it has fur
nished basis on which the railroads can
work toward solution of their difficult
ties. In these circumstances the Atchi-
son will cut expenses wherever there is
chance to save dollar Most of our i'm
provement work is so far advanced that
it would cost more to stop it than to
carry it to completion, but no new obli-
cations of any kind will be entered into.
THE railroad bill as 1t stands is a ter
ror. 1t takes control of the railroads out
of our hands while leaving us the re-
sponsibity. 1t gives the government
practical control without ownership. If
it is to go into effect l would rather the
interstate commerce commission were
given full power to make all rates.
II do not want to criticse the commits
sion, it would not be becoming to do so,
but the fact remains that most of its
decisions have been against the railroads,
and 1 cannot see any justification for the
belief expressed in some quarters after
last nights conference that now 1t is only
a matter of time until the increases we
desire are put into effect.
las usual, the railroad is the goat. In
the committee that appeared at WASH
ington to petition that Western associa-
ton rates be enjoined there was but one
lone shipper The rest of the visitors
were professional leaders who occupy a
position in relation to the shipper corre-
spending to the relation of the walking
delegate to the working man.
1.-The present situation is not one that
justifies any investor in buying railroad
securities. The Missouri river rate de-
cision affirmed the other day has thrown
half the rates of the country into chaos
Statement BY Perkins
Washington. June 7.-George w. Per-
lSins, of the firm of j. p. Morgan G. Co.,
who was in Washington today, gave out
the following statement regarding the
railroad situation: ..
The railroad question affects managers
and owners of railroads, the managers of
the government, shippers. investors and
the public. The arrangement which Pres
ident Taft and Attorney General Wicker
sham have negotiated gives to all these
interests what we have never heretofore
had in this country, namely, an equally
fair plan of procedure. When it becomes
effective, which will be in Ve very near
future the railroads., shipperA public in
vestors and the government will no
longer be continually at variA zee with
each other, and the far reaching. benef-
cial and permanent effect of the same can
scarcely be overestimated.'