The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1914-02-05


twenty-five millions of the total reVe-
nues were collected from people out
side of the Southeastern States-a
fact not often taken into considera'
ton, the explanation Of which is that
an appreciable part of the passenger
traffic of the system consists OF the
transportation of residents Of other
localities travelling in the South, and,
furthermore, that to a large extent
freight charges on Southern products
shipped to other localities are paid by
| the consignees.
What then becomes of these great
revenues collected in the South? Are
| they hurried away to some cavern IN
Wall street? No The fact is that
all the moneys collected in the South
are deposited in Southern banks which
are drawn upon from time to time
| only as funds are needed for proper
fiscal purposes. The funds of the sys-
tenn thus become an important factor
in strengthening the banks of the ter
ritory and so are at all times at the
service of the Southern people.
have said that these funds are
withdrawn from Southern banks from
time to time only as needed for proper
fiscal purposes, but even in that opera
ton, to large extent, the moneys col
lected for transportation service on
| our lines are not withdrawn at all from
the Southern communities in which
they are collected This can be DEM
onstrated by an analysis Of Southern
Railway expenditures for the last hs-
cal year. Such analysis shows that,
Of every dollar disbursed, ALL cents
went to the payment Of wages, sub
stantially all of which are paid along
the line of the road, and so remain
| in. Southern banks, disbursement
| which, for the Southern Railway prop
er, averages about two million dol
lars month. The purchase Of ma
terials and supplies used $3.50 cents,
and, under our policy of buying as far
as practicable from Southern people,
1912 cents of this was expended in
the South and only AS cents in other
localities. Miscellaneous operating e1-
penses required 500 cents, all spent
in the South. Taxes, all paid in the
South, required 365 cents. Interest,
rentals and other miscellaneous pay
ments accounted for 20S3 cents, and
the holders of the company's prefer
red stock received 4.42 cents. It IS un-
fortunately impracticable to determine
the proportion of interest and divi-
dends paid to Southern owners Of
Southern railway securities. I wish
it was all paid to Southern people;
but, leaving these entirely out Of ac-
count, it is seen that at least 70.57
cents out Of every dollar expended by
the Southern Railway remains in or is
brought into the South. 1t may be add
ed that these figures do not take ac-
count of expenditures for additions and
betterments amounting last year to
three millions and a half and in ten
years to twenty.seven millions OF
which the major part, expended on
roadway and structures, was practical
ly all paid out along the line Of the
road. We may then take it as es.
tablished that what the Southern peo-
pie pay the Southern Railway lines for
transportation remains part Of the
working capital of the Southern peo-
pie; but it is interesting to pursue
the thought step further to reall-
zation of what these disbursements by
the Southern Railway in the South
mean in the life and growth Of the
Southern people. OF the total Of sew.
enty-six millions paid out along the
Southern Railway lines last year ap>
proximately forty-three million dollars
went to the army Of $4,000 employees
and thus, on the conventional basis Of
five to family, directly supported
about 295,OOO Southern people, or
about six and one-half times the pop
,ulation of Chattanooga at the date Of
the last census.
have spoken of our preferred
stockholders, but the real preferred
stockholders of the Southern Rail-
way System, in the matter of priority
of claim, are the political govern
ments of the States, counties, and
cities along its lines. Their claim
upon railroad revenues comes ahead
even of that of employees, and they
took s3,7+3, ,7O4S9 in the last fiscal
year. 1t is hard to grasp the signif-
canoe of figures as large as this:
what our tax payments really mean
to. the communities along our lines
can be better understood by an illus
trative analysis of our payments OF
account of school taxes and road and
bridge taxes in the southern states.
In 1912, our school taxes IN these
states amounted to something over
sS00,000, or an average of twenty
eight hundred dollars for each ccun-
ty traYersed by our lines. At the av.
erage annual compensation of school
teachers in the Southern States as
reported by the United States Bureau
of Education, this would more than
pay for ten teachers in each county.
1t represents S2.64 out of every s10O
of school taxes paid in these States
and amounts to fifteen dollars for
each school building in the States
traversed by our lines. Every dollar
paid to the Southern Railway for
transportation charges thus includes
substantial contribution to the
maintenance of the system Of public
education in the South.
Payments by the Southern Railway