The Detroit times., 1911-11-17
OPPOSES CONTROL
OF THE RAILWAYS
BY GOVERNMENT
System Means Control BY Par
ties. With No Permanancy of
Policy, Says Ramsey.
PRESIDENT OF ANN ARBOR
ROAD GUEST OF b. OF c..
Makes Old Plant About Lines
Not Being Allowed To
Advance Rates.

Joseph Ramsey, Jr., president
the Ann ArDor railroad, addressed
large audience OF Board OF Co.nmerc
members at luncheon In the Hot'
fuller, Thursda. noon. on the sui
ject. The relation OF the railroad
70 the cities ana the people at large.
He was introduced by Milton A. Nj
Rae, president OF the board, who pre-
sided
Mr. Ramsey said in part:
/ was reading a short time ago "A
article on railroads, written over fort
years ago by Ia. V. Poor. and ] wa
so impressed by the pertinence OF III
remarks TO the present condition q
railroads, that | have selected my tex
from that article. Bear In myid TN
fact that this article was written JUS
after the war, when there was ON
10000 miles of railroad in the country
and not over 1000 miles was west y
the Missouri river. The selections fol
lows:
The railroads OF the United
states sustain relations to the
wants, and TO the industries and
commerce of our country tar more
intimate and important than those
sustained by the roads OF any other
people. The markets for the
products of nearly the whole OF
the United States are within
narrow belt Of territory lying I'M
mediately upon the seaboard. The
value OF such products ~ In exact
ratio to the facilities that exist
for sending them forward THESE
facilities railroads nave supPheu
10 such an extent IA to give
highly commercial value 10 the
corn grown In central Illinois, and
to wheat In the extreme portions
OF Minnesota. Transportation by
rail Is rapidly superceding that Dy
all other modes. Railroads nave
also supplied the perfect means or
social intercourse between the
most widely separated portions or
our vast domain. AS this Is being
occupied by successive waves OF
population flowing from the older
states constant intercourse is
kept up between those who remain
and those who have gone
forward 20 occupy the land. kaii-
roads, therefore, are FIRST neces-
sity. They can never be any less
important or valuable In future
than they are today. on the con
trary, we have only 10 look TO the
past TO see how rapidly their use
fulnesS and value must increase.
No Investment, therefore, can be
safer or more productive than that
infa well conducted railway. upon
good route. Every person In the
nation almost, must contribute To
are. bound up in IL Of those who re-
side within the sphere of it's I'M
mediate influence.
There is no subject In WHICH
greater interest Is felt by our peo-
ple than in the economy of rail-
way transportation. The inter-
nal commerce OF the country now
40 vast has been the creation OF
railroads. which secure narket
at remunerative prices. for the
products of every portion or our
wide domain. The problem yet be-
fore them, and which must always
continue so. and an unsoiNed one
TOO. is the extent OF reduction still
possible to make In cost Of trans
portation.
only in q very few instances have
legislatures assumed TO interfere
with their management Their m
competency To carry out AN elab-
orate scheme requiring years Tor
its accomplishment. or to redress
abuses, Is one Of the striking char
acteristics OF all free govern
ments- Those administering them
are changing places too rapidly 10
render possible any adequate con-
ceptipp or execution OF plan or
system which shall give reason
able amount OF accommodation 10
the public, and secure remunera-
tive returns upon Its cost. They
have no vested rights either in
their places or hOncrs, which am
day NAV fall to another, and very
little sense OF personal interest IN
the results OF their services. In
countries where the government Is
the state. and where tho rulers are
permanent class 81 order, ana tuh
people as IL were, their properly.
constant care and watchfulness
Is exercised over every act OF
society What are supposed TO be
remedies are promptly applied. but
no government liz caplpie OF prop
erly executing or administering
commercial enterprises, and our
own has wisely corlmitted all such
matters to the people. where they
belong.
Touch Present situation.
In these quotations from MIR. Poor
OF 1853 every phase OF the presen
questions agitating the legislator, IN
shipper. the railroad man and the pun
lie, Is stated.
Even the most radical advocate o
stringent regulation by Rovernmen
commissions and bureaus must admi
that railroads are a first necessity
that they have supplied the perfsc
means OF social intercourse, and tn
movement of the traffic OF the coun
try: that they sustain relations TO "
wants, and to the industries and com
mercc OF our country, far more int
mate and important than those. sus
tanned by the roads OF any other com
try: that every person In the natio
Some OF US might dissent today frOg
the statement that railroad investnen
IS one OF the best and most productive
fotms OF investment.
When one refers to the railrOa
urcblem nowadays. he raises a subJcc
OF more vital and far-reaching import
ance TO our country, our present an
future growth and prosperity. agricul
turally commercially and Industrial
yes. and politically, than any other an
1araat ar all the other interests com
hIned The $4,000 miles OF railroad
which criss-cross the United State
from east TO west and from north {
south tying the l6 states together b
bands of steel, penetrating the mos
mountainous sections where the vas
mineral storehouses are found--an
like silver bands running through IN
golden grain fields OF the west: TAX
Ing from the forests and neldS, an
from the mines, the raw material Z
tho mills and cities, not only OF on
own country but OF all the world. an
returning to the miner. the farmer an
the woodsmen, the luxurfes, as well a
-fT9- fCCegsfTfpg or fffr-tnpsV drr IN
arteries Of our body polite. as well "A
economic and anything detrlmenth
TO the body economic OF nation Wi
most certainly cause trouble to IN
since 1850. the history OF the lie
vclopment Of the railroad has been III
history OF the growth and develop
ment OF the United states, with tn
. railroad builders the pioneers ARrl
culture manufactures, commerce an
state building followed the railroad
the railroads ended the Indian war
and massacres; they wiped out tn
great American desert the stake
plains" of tie maps OF 70 Years NJ.
and turned them into fertile fields
is not necessary TO tell YOU gentlemc
these things. YOU know them as We