Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1914-01-17

! When the railroads ask for the
right to raise freight rates they are
invariably met with the assertion
that advancing their rates are too
high as 1T is.
! Take the last point first and let us
see how it works out in analysis.
/ Everything entering into the con-
struction, maintenance and operation
of railroad costs more than ever and
is steadily going higher. Wages for
ali classes of employees are the high
est in history and yet demands are
constantly coming in from various
groups of workmen for additional in
creases; terminal facilities are more
expensive than ever; equipment and
supplies, maintenance and repairs all
have gone and are still going up.
just one item in the freight busi-
ness has not risen correspondingly
and that is the rate the railroad
receives for its service. On the
contrary that has been lowered or un-
changed until, in some instances, it
is no longer profitable for railroads to
carry certain classes Of freight. How
long can such a condition last with
out grave injury to the efficiency of
transportation? Railroads cannot
make and maintain high standards of
service, extensions, improvements
and additions unless their revenue
justities it and their revenue will not
| Justify it SO long as their freight
| rates are not permitted TO rise in pro-
| portion to the rise in the cost of oper-
alton.
Railroads operating between CHI
cago and the Atlantic seabord receive
an average revenue of three-fouruhs
Of cent per ton per mile for the
freight they carry. Will anyone un-
dertake to say that is too high, or
the railroad more wages than they
earn at such a rate as that?
In eigaty-fve years the American
railroads have developed the most
marvellous system of transportation
known to the world. Eighty-five
years ago there were 25O miles of
railroad in the country, today there
is something like 100000 miles of
main track. Then engines weighed
three and-half tons, drawing on level
road fifteen tons at fifteen miles an
hour. Today the standard locomotive
weighs more than 200 tons and must
be capable of a speed of sixty miles
drawing thousands of tons. The rail
roads employ an army of !, SOC, 900 at
an average wage of more than so per
cent above that paid to railroad en-
ployees anywhere else on earth and
conduct the transportation busi-
ness at 40 per cent less cost to the
shipper than in any other country.
Does this seem as if the railroads
were overpaid for their service?
Now as to the increase in freight
rates materially advancing the cost
of living. The railroads now receive
2 2-5 cents for carrying pair of shoes
from Boston to Chicago. If their
freight rate were increased per cent
they would still get less than cents
for the transportation of these shoes.
What difference does cents make in
the price of pair of 81 shoes2
Railroads now get cents for carry
ing one overcoat 1000 miles; s1S or
the price of one coat, for carrying 300
lIS Sdllc u1o OduCC ouDUTdCI D C6lIS
from the price of your overcoat and
see how much the freight rate af
fected it. The railroads now carry
one pound of ham ], 900 miles for one
third of cent, or fifty-four pounds
the same distance for Is cents, the
selling price of one pound They
carry one negligee shirt 1000 miles
for $40 of cent, or Ill shirts the
same distance for 81, the price of one
shirt.
Add the little 5 per cent to these
rates and even then they are fnfinites-
NAL in proportion to the costof living.
Here are a few other pointed illus
trations of the fmmateliaI ratio the
freight rates bear to the selling price
of articles. An automobile worth
$3.50 is hauled 1913 miles for SPLIT.
which means that the railroads share
in the selling price is one-thirty-f fifth
A baby carriage selling for s25 is
hauled 200 miles for sI.12 1-2, which
gives the railroad 1-22 of its selling
price. The railroads. share in freight
rates on beef is 1-5O, on butter 1-53.
coffee 1-9O, hosiery I-250, and so on a.
long q long line of staple commodi-
ties.
With such facts before him, who