The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-04-30
ARE TIE RAILROADS
BEING "STARVED"p

Observation-Disclosures

roG 10 lnrE timp the railroads
have been making % publicity
a ,ampaigu tor th, right Co iu-
crease rates The, h1N, succeeded
sufficient, 90 brine fho .ssu, to trial.
and TO create In thu pJHl., mind the
feeling that 10 D. B. right Geo increase
rates they should bc Increased. but DO
30 ia not right thoy shuIld uot hc in
creased.
when railroad rate regulation bee
san bon this country thcr, WAS 200
doubt in the rcopir.s mind ls 90 3h"
need for b. Appalling o~tyr-,Hpitl-
iHitiou. rebate Determinations. pref
crcutiai tariffs. diycrs.ti.- uf rates
going and coming the suddcu umass-
ing Of giant fortunes all these cone
WINGED the people thst railroad rates
were fnr IN excess of what they
should Dee Tor the meeting Of lcsiti-
mate operating expenses ana the pay
mcut of just profits But now thnt
regulation has been attended by sey-
crIl years uf persistent complaint boy
the railroads that thcy are being
starved rl income suuiriput To-
maintain thylt properties The people
are mot $50 generally well furnished
I WIN JANUS w NNNkf W wv NN"AN w
the railroads statements and de-
mands
To Furnish such facts as 3 basis Tor
sound Judgment and Co help the pco-
pie iu their very evident disposition
e. Doe fair To- tho railroads. Senator
tuWmius has presented Co the senate
OF the United states. and through
that body o. the people Of the United
States, t mass cot Information which
IS well worth the serious attention OF
thoughtlul citizens such iuforma-
tiou is timely inasmuch as an april
cation for a general Increase is pend
Ing before tho iusterstatc commerce
! commission and various applications
ore being heard By various state COM
missions.
The nrst tact Go bc considered b.
that the rates now prevailing were
substDntialiy all made hy the rail-
roads themselves without any inter
ference whatsoever ON the part OF the
government This dlsposes 81 such
statements as that 81 FrauI \ Mum
scy that the government has inStitut-
ed "a police of starving the rail-
roads
The u,Nt fact to consider h. that.
according q" the reports of the inter-
state commerce commission and Of
the railroads themselves. the net row
cnues of an the railroads OF the Unit
ed States. dcduotiug taxes. showed iu
1913 an increase OF tiIs0 per cent
over the net revenues Of 1880. This
has been exceeded hy only enc ear In
the whole 20, namely 1919 when the
increase in revenue over 1890 amount
led To- i5o.Ns per cent
when it b. remembered that rail
road securities huyc always been at
tractitc Co the investing publ, az
from 3 10 e per cent. aud that the
revenues now being obtained rcpre-
sent a possible dividend OF Z per cent.
lit BIS CLEAR that the railroads are not
heins a'starv lf-thi~ hls not been
paid to security holders II is because
the railroads saw q more profitable
use of % in h enlargement OF their
lines
The not re, cuucs ~ United states
railway, in 1913 were 100000 900
more than the aNcrtg. Tor the ftc-
year period ending 1909 aud ts7U.-
600 600 more than the same period
closing 1904
In 1880 the gross |carulnSs per mile
of AN United states railroads were
Ah.t-a. 90 the gross operating cN
p"u-"s Nli-' per mile leaving : net
revenue Of s. $500 per mile. !u 1913
the gross earnings per mile were {l3.-
~ ana the gross operating expenses
sH."'i per mile, leaving "a not reyouus
~ Ei23a per milv-ur 70 net revenue
per mile nearly equal Co tho gross
revenues ~ 1850 On fact the net
fNfrtnuN a. milo 10. fuFH 49,. ..t
or than Tor any veal iu the history
"f American r%ailroading And that
seriously damages the theory that tho
government is starving the rail-
roads