Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-08-07

"lth the average freight rate in 1909 Of three-quarters of a cent Der ton per mile, the lowest in nine years the average passenger rate per mile, one and nine-ienths cents, the lowest ever reached, is it any wonder that the investor holds back and the bank CTS demand high interest rates from the railroads. The railroads need $2,OO0, ,000000.00 to put their lines in proper condition, and to increase their terminal facilities at all points that are even now necessity. and l,ooo,0oo,oo0.00 more for modern new motive power and equipment to move their freight with and economy. Where can they get the money? Dnlv by increased earnings from advanced rates, and by so doing better their credit by attracting the uninvested dollars that are now going to other more attractive but less productive investments
 What Will the Advance Cost the
 Ultimate Consumer.
 Poor's Manual says the average haul of freight in 1908 was 142 miles. The average rate in 1909 was three fourths Of cent per ton per mile
 The average total rate for the av- craze total haul, assuming it to be the same as 1908, would be S1O6 Der ton. An advance of 10 per cent on this rate would increase the co. 10 cents per ton, or 1-200 of a cent per pound. An advance of 10 per cent on the present specific rates would in- crease the cost of 100 pounds dress ed beef in New York shipped from Chicago, 1-2 cents; 100 pounds of canned fish in St. Louis, shipped from Maine, l S-10 cents; loo pounds flour in New York, from Minneapo- lis, cents; suit of clothes in Chicago, from Boston, 1-2 cent; the same for a woman s suit. On a mans outfit, coat, trousers, shoes and hat. New England to Mississippi Valley, not to exceed l cent. The Ultimate Consumer can multiply these illus trations indefinitely. The manufac- turer, jobber, and retailer could cas- fly absorb this slight advance, be- cause, if his business increased but one unit, that would more than pay the increased cost on one hundred units.
 Railroad net earnings thus in- creased, the railroads would have a ready market for their securities, knd with the money thus obtained again start all the business and industries now comparatively idle that are di- rectly or indirectly dependent on their property. The working men would be fully employed, their fam- d.ies would again purchase freely, and that means good business for everyone.
 There are 1,500,000 railroad em- ployees. It takes 2,500,O0O men to supply what the railroads need, and vast number of men are employed in supplying the personal needs of the above 4,000,000 men and their families, representing 16,000,O0O peo- pie. Every kind of business is de- pendent in some measure on railroad prosperity
 High Cost of Living.
 If it had not been for the encour- agement given railroad investors in the rast, where would We have been today for our food supply They op- ened up thousands of miles of unde- veloped and unproductive land and yet our food is high, because of lack of supply; our consumption is in- creasing faster than our food pro- duction. If the railroad investor stops as he now has, there will be an advance in food rates soon that will be far greater than increase freight rates. High food means high labor, and high labor means high ev- erything. Therefore the Ultimate Consumer and the State and Nation al Governments should be interested in developing land that will produce bountiful food products. Half of the country west of the Mississippi is not used, and will not be until GOV cred with railroads. Who would want to build roads in unproductive lands when those in cultivated country will barely pay the lowest rate of interest and the owners and managers are being harrassed and maligned as in no other business.
 This country will only improve when the business man realizes tha1 the investor does not provide the source of his own investments. He waits for you to do that in some de.