Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-12-17
WHY THE COST OF
OPERATING RAILROADS
HAS BEEN INCREASED
STRUGGLING AGAINST INCREASED COST OF
LABOR AND SUPPLIES ON ONE
HAND-REDUCED RATES
ON THE OTHER

time, the government. through the
Interstate commerce commission,
has been engaged in making a ply
steal valuation of all our railroads
as a matter OF guidance for future
rate adjustments. Again, we repeat,
since the people absolutely control
and regulate the railroads, is that
not enough? VIII It not be better
to let we'll enough alone-to cling
to that which is good and eliminate
that which is bad in the present
system, which with all that has been
said against 1t, furnishes the best
and cheapest transportation service
in the world?
Increased Cost of Operation
We now wish to refer briefly to
another phase of the problem. For
a number of years the cry of the
thigh cost of living" has been ev-
erywhere abroad in the land. Time
was, not so many years ago, when
the farmer sold his corn at 25 cents
per bushel. Now 1t brings from 30
cents to rs cents. So, too, he sold
hogs at 8 cents per pound, which
now readily bring from Z cents to
10 cents-while a good steer calf,
which used to bring from $40 to
$12, now sells for from $40 to $25.
Nobody who knows anything about
present land values or the farmers
cost of production will contend that
he is not entitled to these increased
prices. AS matter of fact, unless
he is an exceedingly good manager
and utilizes the best of modern ag-
ricultural thought he is by no means
getting rich at present prices-high
as they may seem to people in the
cities who do not understand the
cost attached to present-day farm
ing. To go back to the old prices he
used to receive would be bankrupt,
in little while, every farmer In the
ccuntry-and the tendency of the
future will be for the prices of farm
products to go still higher rather
than lower. Agriculture is the ma
tons greatest fundamental indus
try and society must make the farm
game sufficiently profitable to JUS
tify the man who is On the farm to-
day and the farmer boys of the fu-
ture to stay by the plow. Much has
been said recently about the fact
that the farmer does not receive
enough for what he produces-that
there Is too big a waste in the chan
nels through which his products
pass before they reach the consum-
err, and that he has some cause for
for complaint in this respect is un-
doubtedly true. However, the rail-
roads can face such an inquiry with
clear conscience-for an exhaus-
tive investigation conducted by the
Lehigh Valley Railroad some time
ago shows that the farmer gets
50h cents out of the average dol.
lars worth of products he sells; the
packers, local shippers, distributors
and retailers get 44h cents between
them; while the railroads receive
only cents, or one-twentieth Of the
dollar, for the transportation serv-
ices they render.
So, too, there has been a steady
advance in practically the entire
realm of merchandise and manufac-
tured products, whatever their ma
ture, and the ever increasing toll in
the cost of labor, steel products,
lumber, cars, locomotives and other
supplies has levied a tribute of un-
told millions upon the railroads,
which have not only been forbidden
to increase their rates, but, on the
contrary, in many instances COM
PEELED to lower them.
Big Increased Cost of Labor
To give the reader an exact idea
Of how the cost Of labor has advanc-
ed In the operation Of railroads we
quote the following increases In the
daily wage from 1900 to 1914
period of only fourteen years: In
the case of engineers it increased
from 1888 per day TO 1915, or an
increase of Sc per cent; firemen
from 1921 to $500 or 81 per cent;
conductors from 1891 to s4.SS. or
as per cent; station agents from
1913 to s2.16, or per cent; other
station men from s1.62 to $3.50, or
II per cent; ordinary trainment
from s1.s7 to 1886 or 20 per cent;
machinists from s2.72 to $3.50. or
% per cent; carpenters from S2.S1