The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-04-13
SUBSCRIPTIONS RATES.
THE PLIGHT OF THE RAILROADS

The case pending before the inter
state commerce commission, in which
eastern railroads are asking for rate
increase. concerns the entire country
and it has local interest to Chicka-
sha on account of the magnitude Of
our railroad interests. Are the com
panles "stalling'' for effect on the COM
mission when they fay off men? This
is one question that is being discussed
ir a number of newspapers. To us it
appears likely that the roads are ex-
aggerating their woes but at the same
time il cannot be questioned that their
distress Is real and calls for relief no
matter what may have been the causes
OF st. The entire subject and particu-
larly the attitude Of the press toward
1t is ably reviewed by the Literary Di-
gest, which says in part:
A fact. not a tendency, confronts us
is, in brief, the statement OF a railroad
president who asks the interstate com
merce commission for authority to in
crease the freight rates OF the eastern
railway companies by five per cent;
and his feeling about il seems TO be
shared by most OF the press, who agree
that it would be unfortunate all around
to reduce the roads to beggary. The
crisis OF the railroads. as it is called
declares itself in the reports Of the
companies which in the seven months
ending January 81, 1911, show loss Of
net operating income OF Ss1 9Zo.935,
or 22.5 per cent, as compared with the
corresponding period the year before
Another evidence Of railroad hard
times exposes itself, we read. in the
drastic retrenchment by such great
roads as the Pennsylvania and the
New York Central. which have had to
FAY off $1,000 men The argument OF
.he roads Is that state commerce com.
missions and the interstate commerce
commission have together imposed re-
sirietions ON railroad management and
operation which combine with high
prices and high salaries to bring the
railroads to penury
But some editors question whether
the laying off of employees in sucn
large numbers is not a "sob-plea" OF
the railroads to win the sympathy Of
the interstate commerce commission;
and at the same time 1t is reported
from certain quarters that the labor
interests are going TO find out from
the commission whether it has been
really necessary for the railroad com
panies to discharge their employees on
the ground OF economy. The facts and
figures presented by the companies
are accepted by others in the faith In
which they are given. despite the re-
cent reported instance OF juggling OF
statistics recorded against one large
railroad system. While recognizing
the spotty history of railroad exploita,
ton in the past. editors nevertheless
generally are inclined to admit that the
roads now actually need help in the
way of square deal, but although this
seems TO be the judgment of the ma
jority. there are still observers who
would remind the roads that their past
is not the path of unsulied innocence.
Thus, for instance, while admitting
that the higher freight rate is the un-
deniable due of the railroads If the
railroad authorities can prove that the
''crisis" is too serious to be met by
economy and efficiency" the New
York World CInd. Dem) argues:
I'm fair dealing let us have a fair
start. In justice to investors no less
than to shippers and the public. future
issues of the interstate securities for
transportation purposes should be
passed upon by competent federal au-
thority. The Frisco scandal, the Rock
Island exploitation, the Alton looting,
the almost ruin of the New Haven,
have all been wrought by the uncon-
trolled issue of securities for private