Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-06-04

roaCss but 70 the OF the united
States, 1t would add 500, 000, 900 a
year to their net revenues. This
would Immediately insure the stabil-
ity of railroad securities and enable
the roads to sell the securities on at
least a 5 per cent basis. Moreover,
an increase of 500, 000, 900 in yearly
revenue would pay interest on S2,000,-
100000 Of new securities which they
could sell at par and put the money
into new equipment, bigger terminals
and double track. This money would
be put into circulation, two-thirds of it
among workmen who could start at
once to manufacture material and put
the same into service. Improvements
to the roads on every right of way
would give employment and require
produce to feed men and horses and
thus put money direct into local com-
munities. The turning of an army Of
half a million or more idle men, who
are now idle because Of the partial
suspension of railroad activity, into
an ARMY of half a million workers,
working full time, would make half a
million better consumers of food, pro-
duce and clothing, possibly five times
half a million, including their fami-
lies. Upon the instant that the Inter-
state Commerce Commission issues
its permission for this 5 per cent in
crease in rates the business of the
country Will break from the bonds
which are now holding it in leash and
we will see such prosperity as the
most sanguine have never expected.
This is the opinion at least of 999 men
out of every thousand who have given
serious, sober, unbiased and enlight-
ened thought to this subject.
AS farmere, we have perhaps more
to gain through railroad prosperity
than any other class. 1t is true we
have felt their heavy hand when they
took their toll Of grain as we shipped
U annual harvest or when they have
taken their 80 pounds of flesh from
every carcass sent to the yards. But
those heavy rates of old which seemed
excessive were perhaps necessary III
pioneer days when population was
scattered and traffic was light. Those
days have passed. II ve still nurse
a grievance for ancient wrongs, let us
reflect on the gain in the value of our
farms which they would not possess if
they were not within hauling distance
to the steel road. Do we stop to con.
slider that the value of farm land in
Montana has increased so per cent in
the last five years owing to the build
ing OF new railroads in that state? /
know personally at this moment Of
one beautiful little valley where they
are raising 80 to 40 bushels of winter
wheat to the acre, the finest hard
wheat that man ever ate. It is worth
92c in Chicago, but they are feeding
1t to the hogs because there isn't a
railroad within 20 miles. There is one
surveyed, in fact half built; why is it
not finished? Because there is no
money available and the company can
not sell its bonds to advantage. When
that road Is completed farm land in
that valley will be marked I'D 100
per cent. We farmers are 'wised up"
a bit, as they say out west, and don't
believe now that the railroad is the
worst pest in existence. T.
And the business man. too, had a
second thought. It occurs to him o
that it is better to stand a 5 per cent
increase in freight than lose a 80 per
increase in business. That is why
the Chicago Association of Commerce,
as we'll as other similar bodies, is not
opposing the increase, but are rather
favoring it. Honorable Charles A.
Prouty, who, as long chairman of the
interstate Commerce Commission, has
rendered more decisions on rates adj
verse to the railroads than any other
man, said before a large body of ship
pers, July 16, 1912: II think, gentlemen,
that what we may term the danger
point in the railroad situation has very
radically changed. Twenty-Five years
ago the danger point was the sdiscrim-
nation between shippers. twenty-five
years ago the danger point was the
unreasonable rate. Today the danger
point, in my opinion, is neither of
those. The danger, point today, I
think, Is the inadequate service and
inadequate facilities. I think that to-
day 1t is just as much the duty of the
Commission to see that the railroads
are given reasonable rates which will
yield to them a fair return as it is to
9 that no unreasonable rate is
charged the shipper, and I believe
this is in the highest interest Of the
shipper himself. What l desire you to
remember is this, that If that time
comes it will be the duty of the Com
mission to permit that advance. That
would not only be an act of Justice,
which Won believers IN fhp anyoya