The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1910-05-06

To the Business Man:-With enor-
nous crops commanding the highest
prices ever known; with every kind of
business on safe and sensible basis;
with merchandise stocks of all kinds al
most at minimum; with everybody
DESTROYS of making good all the neces-
sary improvements which the past two
years depression would not permit of,
and to fill up stocks which have been
almost depleted, with plenty of money
and credit to do all these things, there
is a hesitation by the greater part of
the business community, for the
reason that something has appeared
calling halt IN the progress which
had so fairly started in the latter half
OF 1909. The one great and most ap-
parent element which has caused this
hesitation, is that the railroad cor
poraions of this country have stopped
the purchase of anything beyond their
immediate necessities, so much so
that betterments which had been
projected, (Which are not only better
ments. but in a great many cases are
almost, or soon will be necessities)
amounting to over one thousand mil
lions of dollars, have been held up. 1t
is customary for railroads to prepare
their budgets of expenditures January
LIST. If these budgets had been pre-
pared on the lines of necessities the
outlook for general business, particu-
larly among manufacturers, would be
exceptionally good for 1910. These
budgets have not been presented, and
are not within the call, or even within
the sight of those who would gladly
welcome them, and it is doubtful when
we will be able to make any reason
able forecast in the manufacturing and
commercial world. 1t is unquestion
ably true that the railroads would
gladly enter into year of liberal
expenditure, but as matters stand now
it is quite possible that they will be
compelled to drop back into the con
dition they were in the latter part OF
1907 and during the year 1908, that is
purchase nothing except that which
is absolutely essential, and the reasons
are exactly the same as those tha
existed in the early part of 1907, tha
Is Radical Railroad Regulation"
Our Legislators seem to be unmind
full of the causes of the depression Of
1907 and 1908, and give every indi
cation of re-entering the field with
even more laws to interfere with and
discourage the investment of money II
railroad enterprises, whether it be fol
increases or improvements in existing
| lines, and absolutely calling halt OF
new projected railroad enterprises
And the railroads have not reache,
the position that they now occup,
! through any concerted plan; they al
realize and appreciate the necessity O
renewing their tracks and equipmen
that the recent depression would no
permit of. This in the face of yer
general actual or threatened deman
for large increases in the wages 0
their employees, and knowing that tn
only way they can grant these &C
vances will be by corresponding aC
vance in their revenue, and the onl
way in which they could increase thei
revenue would be by raising thei
rates, and certainly the outlook 70
this is far from promising. They hav
no certainty as to the character of let
islation to come; they are in positiv
fear of Congress, and are warrante
in that fear by special bills alread
introduced, which is sufii cient caus
for them to hesitate. They are M
certain that the people general
: would favor any increase in rates, an
they are equally uncertain as
whether the public would not side wit
labor in it's increased demands upo
the railroads. They feel as all owner
of property naturally would feel, thi
: the earning capacity of their propert
, is now absolutely dependent upon II
manner in which they shall be go
, erned They do not know what tn
government is going to be; they a
almost positive that there will be
> legislation which will cause an
lid