Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1914-12-10

planned In last weeks article IL ID
important for the reader to realize
that the railroads and the pubic
face each other under radically
changed conditions today from those
which prevailed q few years ago.
The abuses and scandals which have
been aired before the interstate COM
merce commission during recent
months were perpetrated for the
most part under the old regime OF a
dozen or so years ago, and can new
or be repeated under the conditions
which now prevail. On the one hand
the interstate commerce commission
and the different states, either
through their public utility commits
sions or legislatures, say what rates
the railroads shall charge for serv-
ice. In addition to this, a proposal
IN now pending In congress to give
the government the right to inves-
tigate all new interstate securities
before they can be placed upon the
market, while similar authority. ID
already being exercised within the
states by the different public utility
commissions, including Kansas. This
means that the last vestige OF con-
troll over their finances will have
been taken away from the railroads
and that henceforth their fate Will
lie absolutely in the hollow OF the
peoples hands. In this connection,
we wish to again remind the reader
that the hundreds OF honest railroad
officials throughout the country
men who have managed their prop
critics without q breath Of scandal
or public criticism-should not be
condemned because Of the misdeeds
of the few. With an aroused public
conscience on the one hand and
scores of railroad officials through
out the country sincerely and ac-
lively cooperating with the different
public authorities on the other, we
can safely let by-gones be by-gones
wipe the slate, and, with a square
deal for the people, the investor and
the railroads alike, start over
again"
The Presidents Anxiety
In last weeks article we quoted
. portion Of President Wilson's re-
cent reply to group of eastern
railroad executives. That the presi-
dent has become profoundly con-
cerned over the present crisis which
c0nfronts the transportation COM
panies is once more made strikingly
apparent In his letter concerning the
inauguration of the new banking
system to Secretary McAdoo a few
days ago. In this letter he referred
to this matter in the following Ian
guage:
1.-THE railroads of the country are
almost as much affected (by the
war;, not SO much because their bus
mess Is curtailed as because their
credit is called in question by doubt
as to their earning capacity. There
is no other interest SO central to the
business welfare of the country as
this. No doubt, in the light of the
new day, with it's new understand
ings, the problem of the railroads
will also be met and dealt with in
a spirit of candor and justice.
Like utterances have come from
scores of other prominent public
men and financiers during the last
few weeks--men who are above
making a selfish plea for any pri-
vate or corporate interest and whose
sole desire is that American business
shall emerge from the present pre-
carious situation without disaster.
Under these circumstances 1t is the
merest folly for any citizen to treat
the present crisis lightly or flippant-
ly, for we are passing through q
period in which the financial re-
sources Of every nation in the world
win be tested as never before,
Where Railroad Receipts Go
In order that the reader may
realize what a tremendous factor the
railroads are In the every day busi-
ness life of the nation and what
they mean to It's prosperity, we
wish to analySe briefly what becomes
Of an average years railroad i'm
come. Just as the idea has prevailed
In the minds of many that the rail-
roads are owned by few rich men,
50 the thought has also found deep
root that they collect millions Of
dollars from the public which 60
into the Golfers Of a handful of mill