The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-10-28
E. p. RIPLEY, PRESIDENT OF
GREAT RAILROAD, THINKS
THERE ARE TWO SIDES.
CAMPAIGN Of PUBLICITY
At Mass Meeting in His Honor at
Topeka, Railway Leader Says Cry Of
Watered Stock Is Untrue, Especially
as Resards His Own Road-The
Public Owes Something to Roads.

Topeka, Kan, oct. 21.-E. II. Ripley.
president of the Atchson, Topeka
Santa Fe, In an address tonight before
a mass meeting IN his honor, declared
..the cry Or watcred stock is today
untrue us To most nf the railroads Ul
tie country and particularly untrue ~
III the Santa Fe Discussing the rcla-
tion between the railroads and the gen
cral public. he said
How has the duty Of the public ~
the railroad been performed and does
the public owe any duties ID the rail
road? The answer to this question Will
vary with the views Of him VINO ~
asked. but all would probably agree Az
4 general principle that the pubic
owes the railroad:
Public Owes Railroad.
First, protection for Its property:
second, freedom from interference With
Its business methods as long as they
are clean and honest.
This IL all we ask. We seek not to
evade legitimate responsibilities. In
the Al years tlrat have elapsed since
The original line was projected from
Atchlson to Topeka. the Santa I'e has
paid its owners less than 3 per cent
on its capitalization. We are told
there is water In It'll don't think so--
but suppose that 1t Is one-third water.
the earnings would still show less than
6 per cent on the actual capital in
vested. Is that an excessive return
for those who have risked their money
in the enterprise? Even now the prop
erty is earning very moderate return
on its value and yet yon are being
told that you are paying the railrnnd
too much and the state officers are
spending the taxes In an effort to re-
duce our rates have no hesitation
In saying that II a regular debit and
credit account had been kept. charging
up on the one side the actual cash
outlay with regular savings banks In
terests. and crediting all earnings on
the other the state of Kansas would
be some millions of dollars In debt to
the Santa Fe.
Pertinent Questions.
we do not want to be above the
law. and we accept reasonable regu-
laton or rates as settled policy of
the government; but by what authority
do your state officials proclaim that
The railroads are earning too much
and that rates must be reduced? What
experience have they that jnstlfics
them In assuming without inyestiga-
tion and without knowledge that rates
are too high? BY what authority do
they. acting for you and all other citi-
zens, prejudice the case before trial
and send emlssarles at state expense
all over the country To argue the case
against the railroads?
..I'he people are giving more thought
To the railway question now than they
ever did before. That Ii Il hopeful
sign. When the people give attention
to both sides Of IL problem they be-
come more liberal In their views Here
toforc only one side of the railroad
question has been exploited, and that
is tho anti-rallroad side. The people,
therefore. were prejndiced without any
desire to be prejndced.
"'rhe Santa Fe has been forced into
II publicity campaign to give to the
public Its side of the controversy. The
campaign has been regarded with favor
by the people because 1t Is educational
The things we are telling the people
arc sound and 1t Is gratifying to the
officials Of the Santa Fe to learn from
the people themselves that they believe
we are telling them the TRUTH
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