Rocky Ford enterprise., 1911-01-27
new STOCK YARDS
FOR ROCKY FORD
Result Of Visit from Santa
Fe Officials
HARMONY SPECIAL
HEARS COMPLAINTS
Promises Everything Asked Except
inG Arkansas Valley Road uotor
Car Service

INK AIkouo01 Vostey e<O0o ksoSOS
Car Service
At least one good result has been ac-
complished by the visit from the
Harmony Special" on Tuesday, and
this is that in the near future Rocky
Ford will have new and comodious
stock yards, long-fclt want at this,
the largest stock shipping point in
the southern Arkansas Valley-if the
promise made by the Santa Fe off-
cials is carried out, as no doubt II
will be for they have seen for them
selves where it will be to the advan-
taKe of the company as well as the
shippers to have larger feeding and
loading pens at this station.
The "Harmony Special arrived on
time Tuesday morning and the Santa
Fe officials were greeted and vel
coined by a large. crowd OF business
men. stockmen. A.. B. S. Co. Off:
cials, etc. The visitors were loaded
into automobiles and taken for a
sightseeing trip about town. the main
points of interest being the sugar fac
tory. Fred Merk's big poultry farm.
the Fair grounds. and lastly to the
dinky little stock yards. where con-
sheepman, was being unloaded, and
the railroad officials were given ocu-
lar evidence that the yards were alto
gether inadequate, for the business
transacted at this city.
Following is the personnel OF the
party: J. NJ. Kurn, General Super
intendent, Northern District, La Jun
ia: J. r., Koontz. General Freight
Agent: z. l., Copeland, Secretary
and Treasurer; J. NJ. Connell, Cen
cral Passenger Agent: J. D. NJ.
Hamilton. Claims Attorney; A. L.
Hayes, Freight Auditor. Topeka; c.
II. Morchouse, Division Freight
Agent. Denver; W. O.. Skinner. Cen
eral Agent. Pueblo; II. A. Tice. Di-
vision Superintendent, Dodge City;
c. H. Bristol. Division Superintend-
.ent, Pueblo; II. s.. Van Slyek. As
,istant General Live Stock Agent,
Trinidad; F. NJ. Bisbcc. Chief Engi-
neer. La Junta; H. f. Clueas. Mas
ter Mechanic, Pueblo: J. +. FARRELL.
Publicity Agent. Topeka. =,
At ! o'clock the visitors and busi-
ness men assembled i'm X. of p. hall.
where II. l. Maxwell. president OF
the Rocky Ford Chamber of Com
merce. rendered the railroad men a
people and acted as chairman for the
interesting meeting that followed.
J. r. koontz, general freight agent
of the Santa Fe, who is in charge OF
the expedition, made a talk at the
meeting about freight rate making
He said that the government commits
sions. national and state. are succeed
ing to the duties of the freight rate
makers. and that they are adopting
the same principles employed by the
railroad men in the making Of freight
tariffs. That principle. he explained.
is that the commercial conditions
and requirements must be the basis
of freight rates. Mr.. koontz said
that the Santa Fe is not opposing the
movement for government regula-
ton, but he insisted that the regula.
ton should be done properly. He
said that the government. in assum-
ing the duty of regulating the rail.
roads. also should assume the respon.
sibility Of regulating them on behalf
of all classes of citizens interested
including the hundreds of thousands
of men and women who have put their
money into railroad property. and the
vast army Of people, employed by
railroad companies.
Z. l.. SopCIduu. SECRETARY duu
treasurer of the Santa Fe talked
company. He said that the Santa
Fe Is not making big money as a
great many people arc led to believe
During the past year." he said, "the
company took in little more than
enough to pay its operating expenses.
taxes, fixed charges and fair divi-
dend to the stockholders. The COM
pany put back into the property dur
ing the year an amount equal to sew
en-tenths of one per cent of the value
of its holdings" Mr.. Copeland said
that per cent is the highest earn.
ings paid by the Santa Fe on any
class of securities. This is paid on
the common stock. The preferred
stock draws S per cent. and the com.
pany pays 4 per cent on its bonds
After paying these dividends and the
interest. and putting four million dol.
lars back into the property for bet.
termcnts. the company had at the
close of business last year only
$365. 600 to carry to its surplus ac.
count. This is less than one-fifteenth
Of one per cent of its capital stock.
The capital stock Of the Santa Fe is
Ss7o.ooo.ooo Mr.. Copeland says that
the property is worth 100000 900.
and that a physical valuation, If the
government should order it. would
show this amount. Mr.. Copeland
says that the Santa Fe has no fear
of a physical valuation by the gov.
ernment because the property is un.
dcr-capitalized. rather than over-cap-
italized.
J. D. NJ. Hamilton, claims attor.
ney for the company. opened his talk
with culogistic remarks about the late
Senator Swink. the pioneer state
builder. to whom credit was due in
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