Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-04-13
RAILROAD EFFORTS
1O GAIN SYMPATHY
o9NAToR cUksAINs IN epEEcta
SHOWS Up TACTICS TO MIS-.
LEAD GENERAL PUDLsc.
ouEsTloN OF GREATER MOMENT
THAN CANAL TOLLS REpEAI
Msrs Money involved In One Year in
Propsssd Per Cent increase Than
Canal Will ceiIsse Fssm All ships
in Many Years Or From ceastwiss
ships in q Halt Century.

in Many Years Or From csastwiss
ships in . Halt Century.
Washington. April 13.-Senator Cum
minis charged on the floor Of the SEN
ate this afternoon that . persistent
and widespread campaign was being
conducted to arouse public sympathy
for the request for per cent Increase
in freight rates on eastern railroads.
now psnding before the interstate COM
mercs commission. The senator ex-
pressed confidence that the commission
would decide the question on its merits.
but said the public was being misled by
incorrect and exaggerated statements.
Senator Cummins compared the rail-
road situation with the Panama canal
tolls question. declaring that an ad-
vance In railroad rates Of per cent
Will amount in one year to more than
all the tolls paid by all the ships that
will 20 thru the canal In twelve or IT.
teen years and more than American
coastwise ships. II they paid full toll4.
would be charged in half Q century.
Scores Railroad Tactics.
I'm connection with the proceedings
before the commission" he continued.
there Is in progress the most compre-
hensive. energetic and persistent cam
paign that have ever witnessed to
make the people Of the country believe
that the effort Of the government to
regulate railways, railway rates and
railway practices has resulted in dis
Foi1
eminent in its endeavor to protect the
people has impoverished the transpor-
tation eompanies:7 that 1t has driven
them 70 the very verge Of bankruptcy
and ruin: that 1t has destroyed their
credit and rendered them incapable Of
performing the service which commerce
demands; that it has outlawed them
from the confidence Of capital and ex-
lied them from the field Of tho investor.
This extraordinary campaign has
filled the newspapers with headlines.
with dispatches, with letters and with
editorials. It has taken possession Of
the magazines, out of which week after
week issue appeals for justice to the
decadenf railroads and to respondent
railroad managers. and 1t gives dinners
and holds public banquets where the
eloquence of orators paints lurid pic
lures Of empty treasures. of worn-out
tracks, Of falling bridges and delaDt-
dated equipment"
Senator Cummins quoted from sew
eraE naaEasine and nswspaper stories
givfsie accounts Of how different rail-.
roads had been forced to discharge
large numbers Of employees and re-
trench in their expenditures.
Trying 10 Psrvset Public Opinion.
II do not assert that the campaign
IS baing carried on to affect the com.
mission, he continued. "for the rail-
road companies know that It can not be
swerved hairs breadth from the. path
OF ITS duty. but I do assert that the
movers Of this campaign arc trying TO
do An infinitely moro Objectionable
think. They are trying to mislead and
pervert the Judgment Of the people.
They are trying to awaken sympathy
by false pretenses. They arc trying
to deceive the country with exasgeeat-
ed cries Of suffering ana distress IN
order to escape the control which ex-
perfsnce has demonstrated should BE-
imposed upon all corporations which
undertake a public service"
The senator denied that the people
Of the United States are hostile to the
railroads and said that every one de-
sired that all railroads be well con-
structed and well operated He did
not doubt that there were rates which
should be increased, and some which
should be decreased
prsssnt Rates Made by Roads.
Senator Cummins recalled that sub
stan41ally all the railroad rates now
prevailing were made by the railroads
themselves and added that in his
opinion IS per cent Of the freight
revenues Of the railroads are derived
from interstate rates made and pub
Nshed without any Interference upon
the part OF tho government. He added
that he believes that tho physical con-
dition Of the railroads 10 better now
than ever before in their history.
Property Most Valuable Ever.
'It follows, Of course" he went on,
"ff,at the railroad property devoted 70
the public service Is more valuable At
this moment than at any other moment
since railroads began. We ought TO
understand that We are dealing with
the most perfect and complete railroad
svstem that this world has
ever seen. prepared to render more and
hstfer service than 1t has ever rendered
hefo.e and all the declarations about
railroads passing into decay and be-
conine unsafe or insufficient 10 the
rankest, baldest nonsense.
ut Il beyond doubt that the railroads
are now experiencing a somewhat
sey,re depression. the volume OF tranic
Is meatly diminished. as compared
with that two or three years ago The
depression began with the hrst OF
october last and has grown more
serious with each month since that
an. It Is sufficient to say that for
some reason people are not buying as
much az they did; manufacturers are
not producing as much AS they did,
ana, consequently there is not much
a hau1 from one part of the country
- another. I do hope and may add
that. It Is my belief that these dis
tresrinx conditions will be temporary
ana. that speedily business will resume
III normal condition"
cummins Quotes Figures.
9anator Cummins said that other IN
dustrias are suffering as Well as the
railloads. and this pasetng fiuctuation
! - frade can not be given az reason
vhv raiIroad rates should be increased.
IL then took up what rate OF re-
et,,rs On al, investment 10 generauy .ac-
csptoA a. fair. 80.
- aaid that between 1880 and 1908
sssrf,ssntative government bonds paid