Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-08-24

personal IHL6IGaI III LIE GlCCtiOu III
Vermont this year as there was two
years ago. The legislature will be
called upon to act upon some impor.
tant questions and measures. There |
are a number of reasons why it is i'm
portant that the republican ticket
should have full vote in Vermont
this year. therefore let us get out
full vote and show to the country at |
large that our organization is vigorous
and it's ranks full that it is full of
courage. intact in numbers. and |
strong and sincere in it's devotion to
party principles. Let US have an
emphatic declaration at the polls to
this effect.-Island Pond Herald.
The Express Companies.
The policies advocated by President
Taft in dealing with the railroad
question are shown to be justified in
more ways than one.
The public has been informed times
without number that the radical meas
ures proposed by the President, which
became law during the recent session
of Congress, and the refusal Of the
Interstate Commerce commission to
sanction the raising Of rates, was pre-
cipitating a financial crash which
would eventually lead to bankruptcy
and the receivership for large num-
Der of the railroads of the country.
To see how the direful predictions
of the Wall street organs have been
verified. let us consider the most re-
cent returns of railroads earnings in
the United States.
The report of the Union Pacific,
just out. giving the figures for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1910, shows
net earnings of 19a per cent. on very
large capitalization, just how much
of which is water we do not know.
The Southern Pacific shows net earn
ngs of 13 per cent, the Lehigh VAL
ley of Is per cent. the Maine Central
of Is per cent, the Boston and Maine
Of S.54 per cent. the Chesapeake and
Ohio of 10 per cent, while other roads
show proportionately large earnings.
this being especially true of the
Canadian Pacific and the Grand Trunk.
The figures from all roads making
returns show that the railroads are
experiencing unparalleled prosperity,
and that all the hue and cry against
the anticipated action of the Inter
state Commerce commission as pre-
judicial to the railroads is without
warrant. The agitation inaugurated
against the government, and especial
ly the Interstate Commerce commits
sion, is for the special purpose of eX-
citing sympathy to enable the railroads
to build up a public sentiment in IA
vor Of rate raising.
In this connection it is decidedly
interesting to consider the case OF
the express companies and to note the
significant fact that the returns OF
the Southern Pacific, show the receipt
by that corporation of 81, 500, 900 ir
dividends, which was three hundred per
cent distribution on the stock owned
by the railroad.
This furnishes ample justification
for the complaint of eXtortionate
express charges made by 123 CONNER
cial organizations, including many Of
the strongest chambers Of commerce
+ in the country, which have asked the
: interstate commission to exercise it;
t powers in bringing about reductio
of express rates. Not only is ''extor
] tion-con tinuous and fragrant" charged
but the bill of complaint also charges
the express companies with eliminat
ing competition, over-payment tt
: railroads, ignoring routing direction:
and exercising undue favoritism.
I The public has suffered long anC
grievously from the exactions of the
express companies, but at last ha'
reason to expect that, through thu
: exercise of powers conferred upon thu
Interstate Commerce commission b.
recent progressive legislation. SOM
measure of relief may come.-Enos
burg Standard.
The State Campaign.
What will be the majority for DR..
Mead and the rest of the republican
ticket this year? Well, let's see.
In the 81 general elections in Yer
mont since 1856 the winners and tn
majorities have been as follows:
1856. Ryland Fletcher. 22,I21.