The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-14
WANAMAKER SAYS
NEED IS EFFICIENCY
Believes Railroads Must Change
Methods Instead Of
Raising Rates.
SHOULD GIVE UP POLITICS
Fairness i'm Tax Payments and
to Merchants in Cities.
Needed Reforms.
SHOULD GIVE UP POLITICS

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 13.--1nstead Of
raising rates each time crisis must be
met. the railroads Of the country must get
down to the bedrock Of eff,ciency II the ma
tional prosperity IL to be conserved and
the cost Of living brought down. accord
ing to John wanamaker in a paper read
tonight at the sixth annual banquet Of
the Traffic Club. at the Bellevue STRAIT
ford.
Mr.. wanamaker. unable to be present.
arranged to have his paper read. Its
presentation was greeted with applause.
The idea OF corporate efficiency that is
rapidly gaining ground was insisted upon
by Mr. wanamaker. He pointed out that
the per cent increase In freight rates
asked by the railroads Is In Itself little
thing, but IL will place an additional
burden of S50.000,000 a year upon the
people OF this country. 1t In such in
fnitesmals. small In themselves but tre-
mendous In tho aggregate. that make the
cost OF living so high, he warned.
Railroads should no longer play pol
tiles. he said. should not attempt to sub
sidize the press. should pay taxes like
any other enterprise, should not be pro-
ducers, and greatest thing Of all should
play fair with the merchants OF tho cities
they serve.
The address was as follows:
1.-The customary measure OF traffc IL
the producing and consuming capacity
OF the people.
Good Service L. Necessary.
at In therefore needfui that adequate
facilities and good service must be pro-
vided. ! have always held the theory
that business could be created by st.mulat-
ing production and consumption by extra
facilities and conveniences.
II was laughed at twenty years age
when ] claimed that people would write
more letters. purchase more stamps. take
more newspapers when the Post Once De
partment would locate selling agencies
and locate collecting boxes In the cities
and establish the rural free delivery along
the country roads. You know full well
how this has turned out
THE railroads are not pleasure play
things. They are not the spectators
game as they once were in Jim Fisk :
time. They are the absolute necessities
for the general veal of the people. They
must be well maintained. improved and
expanded, both as to trackage and equip
ment
Every good citizen OF city and countr,
throughout the United states. every hon.
est n.wspaper--daily. weekly or MONTH!
must faithfully work toward this END
so long as the railroads provide adequate
and safe SCI vice. and the publication.
that fail to So do must be held to d
strict accounting ~ some arm OF The
| national Government.
1T Is not practicable, nor should IL bs
allowable. for railroad companies 10 bs
producers. Neither is the banker or msr-
chant "a producer. Each has ser.
vices to perform essential TO the welfare oi
the public that forms the great army OF
| consumers. who, in point OF fact. sup
port the railroads. as all charges 10,
| Transportation. In the last analysis. are
! laid apon the people who are tn. users.
| According TO facts AS stated to I'M
| the railroads by their service made {
profit OF sslJ.s0O.0o0. In other words
there was that much left after the oper
| ating expenses, taxes and maintenance,
We're paid, from which the railroad com
IpanIes had to meet bond and stock inter
| ests
| This prof, is equivalent to per cent
on 1890. 100000.