Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-01-08

All the extended argument that has
the railroads are facing can be cOndenS-
ed into n short paragraph. Forty;nlne
Systems had operating income .19lO of
1852, 900, 900. In three years they put $500
900, 900 into improvements that the public
demanded. in 1913 the operating income
was $3l7, VOo, CUr. or $l5, 100000 less. Yet
the volume Of business was enormously
increased and the ROADS actually took
in from all sources. $3.50, 000. 900 more
than in 1910. They paid it all out and
SIS, 600, 600 besides in higher wages, high
er cost Of material and other increases.
That is the who'll story.
"If IL man ran q grocery store and
increased his business greatly In three
years, but higher salaries to his clerks,
higher cost of Keeping his horses and
other expenses ate up all the extra
money he took in and left him worse
off than before, he would figure that he
was selling his goods too cheap. But
the only thing the railroads have to sell
is transportation. If they cannot get
higher rates and have to meet the higher
expenses they will get along somehow,
but obviously they cannot. keep giving
the public every year more and more
things that the public wants n that
cost money.
-. No Money, No improvements.
so the, railroads arc on d strike.
'"Thc fight for higher rates on the
part of the railroads is practically over.
If the commission says the roads can
not advance rates, the roads VIII have
to abide by it. But Minneapolis will soon
need greater terminals and the northwest
will need greater facilities. They cannot
be provided without money.
II have the utmost confidence in-the
stability of Minneapolis and the surround
ing country. Something is now being
heard of less favorable conditions else.
where. Less han any other part of the
country, l believe, Minneapolis and it's
! territory will be affected if there is a
slowing down in 1914. But the opportun-
ity for business activity for labor en-
ployment on a large scale and general
good times. is right at hand. If the rail-
roads of Minneapolis could start right
in today with such extension and i'm
provement work as the people want,
there would be a buying stimulus the
Importance of which canpot be overesti-
mated. But the roads have shown. again
and again that they cannot do it, and a,
the same time stand the repeated all,
vances in wages and continued upward
price trend in everything they use use
less they can earn more money. Enough
has been presented in proof of this to- I'LL
great books. ..r.
Prosperity the Stake. vi
IF the railroads have good times
everyone else will have good times. Tho
railroads have been forced, i'm this coun
try, 70 the edge Of the limit Of earning ca
racity. Meanwhile. not u day passes tina
We are not asked by some commercial
clubllor city official body. Or business as
sociaSes, or individual to build something
new, SOmething for the benefit Of some
town that is ambitious. Many such re.
glad to comply. But we cannot do sc
without the money. This is Il condition
existant with every road.
"That is why l say that the interstate
commerce commission holds a power to
day that the men who created it never
dreamed it would hold. 1t has the power
to make the country move ahead. If ii
would give the word that would SHOW
the railroads they may earn sufficient
money next year and thereafter to pay
for the work, or pay the interest OH the
debt that the financing Of the work
would entail, new equipment would be
bought, new stations built, new lines put
down new terminals laid aud q genera
upbuilding program would replace the
present, attitude OF hesitation"
LA CROSSE, WIS,4-The fire loss III ia
Crosse for 1913 ,Was}the snldllest on rec.
ord, aggregating only ,$lz. l3a. 4; ~, /