El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-04
GREAT WORTH Of
THE RAILROADS
Member of Interstate Com
merce Commission, Once
Conductor. Talks.

Worcester. Mass, April Address
ing the immense gathering Of railroad
men Sunday. hundreds of them repre-
senting the powerful organization OF
which he was once the head. Edgar E.
Clark, the railroad conductor who be-
came a member of the interstate COM
merce commission. bespoke message
Of conservatism.
Commissioner Clark told the men of
the brotherhoods what an important
public service. they perform in operat-
ing the railroads of the United States
The development of those brotherhoods,
he said, had come only through fra
ternal unity. and cooperation
Tt has come.'' he said, by having
we'll considered and sound policy and
adhering to it; by applying to every
effort and desire the tests this
Right?-by Withholding every effort
and resisting every desire that would
not stand that test.
Course of Conservatism,
1T has come by pursuing a course
of conservatism which avoided on the
one hand that conservatism, which
beyond a certain point means stagna--
ton. and on the other hand that con-.
servatism which. beyond certain point,
means cowardice.
And the message I wishoto bear to
you is that the policy that has brought
to you so much of material welfare and
contributed to the relations which
bring about such gatherings as this
in which the president of the United
States and the presidents of the rail-
roads on which you are employed glad
~ participate with you, is not to be
lightly set aside, nor 10 be departed
from except for imperative reasons.
In these men is represented an important
part of our nations life which has no
need to change its methods of conduct
ing its business TO keep within the four
corners of the law"
Vast Railway Industry.
Commissioner Clark then went on to
illustrate in graphic way how vast is
the railroad industry in the United
States.
cPhe total mileage Of tracks" he
said. -of the railroads of the United
States is three hundred and twenty
eight thousand. If the capitalization OF
those roads were laid down in silver
dollars side by side, so that those dol
lars touched each other. the dollars
tracks and there would be enough
left over to more than encircle the
globe.
IF the annual revenue Of those roads
were laid down in silver dollars in the
same way. the dollars would extend
more than twice around the world.
If all those revenues were paid in ac-
tual cash. the amount of money so
paid TO the railroads for transporta-
ton would equal the total sum of money
in circulation in this country. II
Railroad Pay
IF the money paid by these rail-
roads TO their employees every year
were laid down the same way in silver
dollars, it would extend $4,000 miles.
or almost once around the earth.
IF the employees of all these roads
were to march in a parade at the rate
of three miles an hour day and night
the single file would be $50 miles long
and ii would require nearly IL days for
the procession to pass a given point
IF the number of passengers carried |
one mile annually by these roads were |
formed in a parade 10 abreast, that pa |
rade would require 81 years to pass a /
given point.
IF the freight cars of these roads |
we're coupled together they would ex- |
tend from Worcester to Portland, Ore.
then to Los Angeles, then to Jackson |
rille Fla. and from Jacksonville back
to worcester and there would be enough /
eft over to put in cross lines between
Worcester and San Francisco and Jack |
sonville and Portland, Ore.
IF all those ears were hauled in one
train moving at uniform speed of !
ten miles an hour day and night. il |
would be SO days after the LOCOMOTIVES |
passed. before the caboose would come |
In sight"