The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-07-03

Minneapolis Journal: President
Edmund Pennington of the 500 line
whose company operates extensive
mileage in wisconsin, in the strongest
statement that has yet emanated from
any railroad president in the north
west regarding conditions In the COM
monWealth that lies east OF Minnesota
said yesterday that his company wouio
not build another mile OF road IN Wis
consin now, or at any future time, 50
far as could be ~foreseen. EXISTING
conditions in Wisconsin are such, he
said, al to discourage capital seeking
investment and he declared that as
the state Of the public mind due to the
agitations of Wisconsin politicians
that state is not progressing as are
other western states, but Is going
backward. He said that eventually
wealth and population losses would
show In Wisconsin statistics and the
people of the state would realize thai
the attacks of politicians upon busi-
ness which had been permitted to &c
on We're having serious effects upon
the prosperity OF the state.
Mr.. Pennington was shown the re-
quest of the Theresa Advancement IS
ISOLATION made to the railroad commis-
sion of Wisconsin for the constructor
4 VI - INV OLElOdA G0AlAtCINAl6 kAAC AgWIA
of Theresa with the Soo's Chicago d.
vision main line. Theresa is a little
old settlement of $50 people, thirty
FIVE miles from Milwaukee, one and
one-half miles off the Chicago division
of the 500 line.
Through With Wisconsin.
eve will not build q branch to
Theresa. We will not build a line
anywhere in Wisconsin" Mr.. Penning-
ton said. we will not build any rail-
road in that state now, or at any fu-
ture time as far as we can foresee
We will continue to operate and try tc
conserve u property in Wisconsin
into which in the recent past we put
between 100000 and 100000 foI
improvements. But we are through
with Wisconsin so far as voluntarily
investing any money in new lines In
that state is concerned.
"The people of Wisconsin do not vel
know 1t themselves, but the state IL
going backward and not forward. They
are blind to what is going on. They
will find out about it some day wheI
some government figures or other mat
ter that is reflective of what is now
going on comes along. The state Is
not only failing to keep up with the
progress Of other states, west ano
south and east Of 1t, but in many
parts Is actually falling behind in
population and per capita wealth. II
is not an inviting field for railroad in
yestment. The railroads are more
harassed in Wisconsin than in any
other state that we operate in. 1t is
due to a state of public mind and has
been brought about by political agita-
tors. Some day the results will show
In figures Of economic changes Of the
state during the existence of this pub
lie state Of mind, and the results viii
not be favorable.
BIaFnes Politicians.
81 am not finding fault with the
personnel OF the wisconsin railroad
commission said President Penning-
ton. Il believe the commission to be
honest and earnest and it's members
competent. But the commission rep
resents the voice of the state Iegisla-
ture, and the legislature represents the
will Of the people, and the will of the
people as now expressed in Wisconsin
is what the people want done because
professional politicians have gown tht
seed of discomfort throughout the state
for their own selfish ends. and have
preached discomfort to the people. The
politicians have created a state of pub
lie mind that moves the legislature
and when we are ordered arbitrarily
to make changes that cost us many
thousands OF dollars without q thought
apparently, on the part of those who
give the order, Of where the money is
coming from, it goes right back to the
politicians.
"You cannot burn a candle at both
ends and have it long. You cannot
keep piling a load upon q horse indefi-
nitely. You cannot continuously add
burden upon burden upon the rail
! roads, and at the same time keep alive
a sentiment which prevents any rate
advance that would give an opportu-
nifty to earn the money to build the
stations and add the appliances and
make the changes that the commission
demands, and keep the railroads IN
condition where they Ear make any
profit. If you make the railroads UNI
profitable and keep Investment out OF
them you are laying up trouble for the
inevitable time when transportation
facilities shall be found not to be ade-
quate and all business will be adverse
ly affected"
Pleads Railways Cause.
zone of the greatest problems be-
fore the country today is transports
ton" Mr.. Pennington said. 1T lie
vastly important to Minneapolis and
st. Paul, Minnesota, North Dakota.
wisconsin. and in short everywhere.
The country is growing al a rapid
rate and the number OF producers lie
not only growing smaller relatively,
but the distance from producer to
| consumer is widening. BY that / do not
mean mile distance alone, but ] mean
that the distributive machinery neces-
sarily becomes more complex and the
consumer is further away from, or
more out of touch with the producer.
The more we grow the more we will
need transportation, and there must
be money to build railroads and the
only way to get 1t is to get 1t from
those who will invest 1t. Does the at
titude OF Wisconsin toward corpora
tons and especially towards the rail-
roads attract capital? Does it make a
state prosperous? wisconsin is stag
nant today. growing less rapidly than
neighDoring states in places, not grow
ing at ali in other places and losing
population In some portions.
1--WE now have $4,000, 900 or more
people in continental United States
and out of the number about So per
cent are engaged in agricultural pur-
suits. The 36 per cent must produce
enough for themselves and the other
E64 per cent.
s"These sixty-four people out Of ey-
cry 100 are engaged in some tine of
work that is affected by the general
prosperity OF the country. One OF the
biggest single factors in the prosperity
of the country is the transportation
industry. When the railroads are
prospecting and building new lines and
| ordering new equipment, all the coun-