The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-06

1t is not necessary for them to ma
capital for home consumption; the
people at home arc all right, and what
is needed In Washington is the exer-
else of a wise conservatism which will
impress the country with the idea that
the Democrats can ye trusted.
THE FREIGHT late QUESTION.
The Investigation by the Interstate
ECommerce Commission Of the freight
rate question was closed last Friday,
and the counsel for the shippers and
carriers Will be heard on January 9th.
y vast deal of testimony, politely
speaking has been submitted to the
committee, which will experience great
difficulty, we should think, in separat-
ing the wheat from the chatf, the evil
dence pertinent to the subject and the
stump speaking that has been don on
the witness stand for the purpose Of
misleading the popular mind.
The arguments on Eastern rates
will be made at the time noted, Janu-
airy 9th, and the arguments on the
Western rates will be made on janu-
airy 10th, a week being allowed to
counsel in each instance. The deci-
sion of the Commission is not expect
ed to be made before early in the
spring. In the meantime, the rail-
roads are carrying freigits at the
old rates which have prevailed for the
last twenty years or more, ana which,
in view of the great. advances that
have been made in wages and the in
creased cost of all the supplies neces-
sary for the proper administration Of
the railroads, are said to be
wholly improbable. The purpose OF
the shippers is evidently to secure a
delay, and then, too. in view of the
fact that the railroads are steadily
losing in the opinion of the New York
Commercial and Financial Chronicle.
the Interstate Commerce Commissions
is dawdling away its time listening to
fool suggestions that some magica.
way can be found of saving $500. 000,-
600 a year This has reference, of
course, to the statement made by Louis
r. Brandeis, u lawyer employed in this
case for the shippers, that he could
show the railroads how they could
save a million dollars a day in the
operation of their lines. Mr.. Brandeis
is a very able lawyer. or so he is re-
ported to be. and he has succeeded, we
believe. in the operation OF certain in
dustrial and manufacturing enter
prlses, but is wholly without any prac-
tical experience in the conduct of great
transportation lines. No o n had
he made his proposition than it was
..met by the Western railroad officials
with IN offer to pay him any salary
he might ask for If he should show
them how to do the apparently i,npos-
sible thing which he says can be done.
This miracle worker accepted SER
vice as they say in the law, with the
understanding that he will do the
work without pay. II the railroad
president and employees could all be in
duccd to follow the example of Mr..
Brandeis in this respect, doubtless an
enormous saving in the operation OF
the railroads might be effected, but
that there is anything like a million
dollars a day wasted in the manage
ment of the railroads of the country,
no one in his sober senses will believe
for a moment.
The Brandeis proposition, however,
is to be regarded as an effort to in
iuence the Commission, or mislead the
public, rather than as seriously intend
ed to affect the economies OF railroad
management.
The railroads are not dong well.
Comparisons of their actual earnings
month by month establish this fact.
The reports for the month OF October
show that on the lines of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad. directly operated east
and west of Pittsburs, thcrc was a de-
crease of $4,000 in gross earnings in
October; that the expenses aggregated
during the same period sl,06e,400 max
ing, therefore, a net loss for this sin
gle month OF sL1ss,soo, The New
York Central System added s966,67i
to its gross earnings in October, but
its expenses during this month amount
ed to s1,75o.Ass, its net earnings fall
ing behind in the sum of s7ss,s14 in
October.
The Mo Pacific added in October
$l5,27 to its gross revenue but its
expenses and taxes moved up during
the month not less than s732,71S, leav-
ing a net loss of s717,443. The South