Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-05-30
IOWA COMMISSIONER ANSWERS
ATTACK OF RAILROADS AND
THEIR PERSONAL ORGANS.
REFuTEs CLAIMS THAT
RAILROADS ARE STARVING
Net Earnings Of All Properties After
Spending Large Sums For Better.
unsnts 10 8 Per Csnt-Thorne Denies
He Has Been Harassins Carriers
Some Iowa Roads Keeping Out.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. May, 30-Clifford Thorne,
Iowa railroad commissioner. in an adj
dress delivered before the Park Av-
enue League in Des Moines, answered
the. attacks of. the. railroads by show
ing that net earnings of the lines do
not justify their efforts to eliminate
the Iowa commissioner from office
holding. Mr.. rhorne. after quoting
some of the recent utterances Of rail-
way journals. said:
"That statement Is absolutely false
and misleading. The earnings OF
American railroads, both gross and
net, last year were greater than dur
z ing any other year, with only one ex-
ceptfon, since the first railroad was
built. The net earnings Of American
saflroads during the past four years.
while tile agitation has been going on
about depleted net revenues, vera
greater than 'during any other four
years since the steam engine was in
vented. q
Net Earnings 8 Per Cent.
"It is true the capital of our railroads
has increased in the meantime. But We
find that the railroads recently ap-
bearing before the interstate commerce
5 commission, made net, above all ex-
penses, above all taxes, above all cost
of repairs and depreciation, and above
all interest on debt, per cent on all
capital stock outstanding in the hands
of the public, last year. The same
year they spent $60,000,000 more than
ever before on maintaining their prop
critics. I am willing to leave the de-
termination as to whether that is rea-
sopable to- the best ~judgm Of. the
interstate commerce commission.
would like to know what YOU folks
think about it.
This article says we have been
starving them. Is that true, in face
of such facts as have stated?
Il am sorry the railroads have been
fit to indulge in such an attack at
this time And am sorry my good
friend Waite, of the Burlington Hawk
eye. has thrown the columns of his
paper open to such falsehoods as are
contained in this article in the Railway.
Employees Magazine. I had been led
to believe that the railroad men OF
iowa had decided to keep out of poll
tics. / still believe that is true OF
many Of them, including such men as
Mr.. Davis of the Northwestern, Mr..
Sargent of the Rock Island, Judge Carr
of the Great Western. and hosts or
others might mention. But 1t seems
the fight is not over. l have fond
recollections of the Burlington: Rail
:.:road. ana OF the Hawkeye..-
"In this article MIR. Baldwin at
tempted to reply to an article of mine.
which had been printed in the Satur-
day Evening Post. He claimed the net
revenues of American railroads were
steadily declining, and had been for
some time: and because l claimed
utherwies he branded me as demo-
gogue, trying to mislead the public, a
falsifer, and various other kind
names.
"a few months later disinterested
tribunal, which commands the respect
and confidence of the American people,
outside Of few petty, narrow minded
hirelings Of the railroads. a tribunal
that stands higher than all others in
our confidence and esteem. not ex-
cepting the supreme court of the
United States, the interstate commerce
commission, held in it's unanimous
opinion as to the very year when Mr..
Baldwin was making those claims:
Never before have the net earnings
of the railroads OF the United States
equaled those for the year 1910. es-
tmated on any basis Never before
has the gross amount paid in dividends
been as large, nor the average dividend
rate as high as in the year 1910; and
yet, In the face Of this unparalleled
prosperity. the press both at home and
abroad has been filled, thru railroad
influences with dire forebodings OF
coming disaster
Il leave it to you to determine who
. had been making the misrepresenta-
tons, Mr.. W. w. Baldwin. of the Bur-
lington railroad, or myself.
Not Harassin0 Roads.
~ am accused of harassing the rail-
roads. / will state briefly the most
important things I have accomplished
while in office. Ninety per cent of our
requires the state commission to pre-
sent the public's side in matters af-
fecting Interstate traffic, before the
interstate commerce commission.
II have assisted In securing the
first general revision of Iowa inter-
state rates to the eastern and western
portions Of the United States. I have
helped in protecting the rights OF the
states to regulate railroads. before the
supreme court Of the United States.
Z have tried to render absolute justice
in every case brought before me.
. have helped in presenting the public's
side in the advanced rate case before
/, the interstate commerce commission.
LARGEST CLASS GRADUATED.
/ Twenty Four Complete Work in Story