Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-06-08

The agreement entered into between
the government and the railroads, rela-
tive 70 The Increase OF rates, gives as
surance of a settlement on a basis fair
10 all Tho roads will submit the pro-
posed schedule to the Interstate Com
merce Commission, and the adminlstra-
tion withdraws the Injunction suit The
Commission viii be given power to in
Nestigate the proposed Increases in rGtcs,
and TO take action In the matter. and
thus the public win be given al guar
antee possible that no rates are made
that are not perfectly Justlhable. and
at the same time the rights and in
terests OF the roads win be fully con-
sidered.
The Injunction suit was probably III
considered. because technically IL was
not directed against the higher rates
but against the combination OF the
several roads to bring about an agree
fnent. But the general demand Is for
uniformity OF rates and special favors
10 none. How can this uniformity be
attained unless the roads are permitted
TO confer and agree on their schedules?
The situation presented IA contradiction
that the suit would have brought out
In greater clearness.
There has been some uncertainty IN
the railroad world lately. Leading
bankers, II Is stated In Eastern papers,
have advised against investment In
railroad stocks. But II this advice is
followed II means a cessation OF i'm
provements II means that money IL
withheld from circulation for double
tracking, tunneling. rolling stock. etc
And nothing is surer to injure the
country financially than the cancella-
ton OF orders for railroad supplies and
cessation OF Improvements. The pros
pect OF settlement OF the rate dis
pute on a fair basis should go a long
way to restore confidence and prevent
business depression.
II has become popular In certain
quarters to denounce the railroads with
out any regard for facts. or reason.
With that kind OF procedure no one
who takes broad view OF the sltua-
ton can have any sympathy, even
when he admits that there are imper-
to be remedied. He looks at the other
side OF the story, too. and he finds that
the railroads are distributing at least 20
per cent OF their receipts to their em-
ployes and 10 the mills and factories
that supply materials. lie finds that
everything the roads buy costs more
than II used to. locomotives have in
creased from $4,000 20 $4,000 and
freight cars. OF which 100000 are de-
stroyed or retired annually now cost
$1,000 each. as against $3.50. Between
1898 and 1905 the gross earnings OF the
railroads Increased % per cent. but the
cost of fuel increased 176 per cent. Be
tween 1899 and 1909 the gross earnings
OF the railroads per mile Increased SIS
per cent. but the increase in taxes was
90 per cent. In 1906 the railroads adj
vanced wages about II per cent, but
the cost OF living has 80 increased that
some of the railroad employees are
worse on now than they were then. and
so press constantly for better pay. Tn
der the circumstances, what can be
done? The roads must be kept going.
They are the veins and arteries through
which the life OF the continent pull
safes They must be kept I'm healthy
for the benefit of the entire
body.
In oldcn times the popular remedy
against every physical ailmont was
bleeding. Some of our modern reform
ers seem to have returned TO that prac-
tice. They are phlebotomists. They
believe in blood-letting, but that is a
poor remedy.