Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-07-20
Can We Afford To Stunt The Rail-
roads Growth

To SubStantiate the claim that. Just
so far as the railroads extend, is pros
perity to be found, and that to stunt
our railroads growth is TO hamper
future success, we quote excert from
a communicate received by prom
inent commercial club of the west
from an extensive shipper located on
the Union Pacific Railroad who APP
for our country.
rs there a more important calling
than that of railroad constructor?
Is there anything more helpful to the
Nation than the building of rail-
road; opening up virgin territory;
developing a new country; making
farm lands advance in value from five
to thirty dollars an acre: forcing new
towns to spring up, where happy,
healthy school children greet US; wit
Messing the division into farms of
great territories heretofore devoted
to ranching?
We have been able to watch the
young men, with a few hundred
dollars venture forth into a virgin
territory, soon becoming prosperous
merchants or successful business men;
and to witness the growth of newly
risen towns to three or five thousand
of inhabitants, with schools and pros
porous business establishments.
1t is given to but few to realize
the great satisfaction that comes to
railroad builders, officials. stock
holders and associates, who know
they are bringing growth, strength
and wealth, not alone to the individ-
ual, but to the Nation
Notwithstanding the great benefits
that railroads bring TO the country,
the railroads today are struggling for
their very existence.
1t is time for the people of America
to resent. the attacks that are being
made on railroads, and efforts that
are being made to reduce traffic rates,
now that labor demands higher
wage, and cost of material is advanc-
ed
The general discrediting of rail-
road investments by state and federal
officials must stop, for on the success
of railroads the life of the business
world depends. There can be no
national welfare until railroads
prosper. In order that the railroads
may prosper, millions of dollars are
needed for extension and betterment.
Confidence must be established or
money for development cannot be
secured.
The failure of late efforts of Amer
lean railroads to raise traffic rates is
national calamity. L understand
that the New York Central's pay roll
shows an annual increase of six
million dollars and that of thu Erie
of about two million dollars.
As the matter appears to me, the
government was willing to allow
an increase in traffic rates to
Offset the increase in wages, until
general protest came from shippers
The rate increased was enjoined, and
afterwards referred TO the Interstate
Com mercee Commission.
do not believe that it really was
the shippers who objected, but the
secretaries of various Commercial
Clubs who saw an unusual opportunity
for '.big noise" which they had not
had for a long time. They were employ
ed to watch railroads, and realized that
here was chance they must not fore
go.
Nearly all railroads need to procure
funds for development by additional
| issues of securities; the wonderful
growth of business in the United
States demands extensions and inn
provements. Stop railroad develop
ment, and you paralize the wheels of
progress Part of the money which
railroads had secured for development
is now being used for payment of in
creased wages; therefore, many ex-
tensions and Improvements are post
poned.''