New-York tribune., 1910-06-04
RAILROADS PUBLIC APPEAL
Rates Must Be Raised or Bank
ruptcY Faced, They Say.

Chicago June S-SinltIItan neous appeals 20
the people were made to-day by the West
ern railroads and by the Illinois Mapufact-
urors Association.
The railroads submitted their brief to
''the man in the street and the farmer"
limiting hard times if the railroads arc not
permitted TO increase their freight rates.
The manufacturers tell the people not TO
be deceived. as there is no danger of panic,
and laud President Taft for his action in
obtaining the injunction, haIting the pro-
posed increase in rates.
On behalf Of the railroads, siason Thomp-
son. head Of the railroad publicity bureau,
put forward -four reasons why railroad
rates must be raised" According to Mr.
Thompson. the railroads in the last two
years are s22O.O00, 600 behind on maintenance;
they paid s13o.0oo.o0o more annually for la
Dor: they paid 100000 more annually for
interest; they lost S25, 10000 annually on
passenger traffic with the total result that
they are "s730ocNo9o to the bad in two
years"
Railway rates must be advanced, be-
cause many companies otherwise will face
bankruptcy" said Mr.. Thompson. This is
a result which the injunction granted at
Hannibal. on a side issue. irrespective of the
justice OF the advance. on ex parte repre-
sentation. without notice and without
proper weighing OF the consequences, may
expedite, but is powerless to enjoin.
why this is so may be briefly stated in
terms that the man in the street, in the
workshop and on the farm understand
and appreciate. In the end it is this man
I'm the street who must bear the brunt Of
anv disaster that befalls the American rail-
way system
Mr. Thompson quotes railroad statistics
as far back as 1897 TO prove the contention
that the railroads face ruin unless rates
are advanced. These statistics viii be
printed in pamphlet form and widely dis
tributed. Mr. Thompson declares that the
shippers have been grossly deceived. and
he charges the Associated Shippers Bu-
reau of Cincinnati, with practising the
deception.
For more than twenty years" declares
Mr. Thompson, the charge has never been
made seriously that the average freight
rates on American railways were unrea-
sonable per Sc On the contrary, 1t is the
testimony of all investigators that they
are the lowest in the world. II they have
been reasonable for twenty years and the
service is more costly now than ever, il is
self-evident that any slight advance now
cannot make them unreasonable.
The resolutions adopted by the Illinois
Manufacturers Association charge the Of
ficers OF certain railroads with being in
concerted movement TO make the people
believe that the shippers and consumers
are making unfair demands and that an
other financial crisis is impending. The
manufacturers call on the people TO hold
up the hands OF the government and de-
mand that the whole question OF the
advance or the reduction of freight rates
should at this time ard at all future
times bs presented 10 the Interstate COM
merce Commission for final adjudication" !"
The manufacturers extend their thanks
20 President Taft and Attorney General
Wickersham for their prompt action I'm
asking the temporary Injunction