The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-14
Iowa Senator Speaks on Request of Eastern
 Railroads
CHARGES EFFORT TO
 AROUSE SYMPATHY
Public Being Mistreated by Incorrect and Misleading Statements, Says Senator-Declares Merits of
 Case Are Vital Issues

Washington, April 13.-Senator A. B. of the Senate today that persistent and widespread campaign was being conduct ed to arouse public sympathy for the request for a per cent increase in freight rates on eastern railroads now pending before the interstate commerce commis- sion.
 The senator expressed confidence that the commission would decide the ques- ton on its merits, but said the public was being mislead by innocent and ex- aggerated statements.
 Senator Cummins compared the rail- road situation with the Panama canal tolls question, declaring that an advance in railroad rates of 5 per cent will aggre- gate in one year to more than all the tolls paid by all the ships that will go through the canal in F or IS years and more than American coastwise ships if they paid full tolls would be charged in half a century.
 Comprehensive Progress
 Tn connection with the proceedings before the commission he continued,
 
 hcnsive, 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 rail- ways, railway rates and railway practices has resulted in dismal, disastrous failure: that the government in it's endeavor to protect the people has impoverished the transportation companies: that it has driven them to the very abyss of bank iuptcy and ruin that it has destroyed their credit and rendered them incapable of performing the service which com 1nerce demands; that it has outlawed them from the confidence of capital and .exi.ed them from the field of the in yestor.
 This extraordinary campaign has filled the newspapers with headlines, with dis patches, with letters and with editorials. ? Tt has taken possession of the maga- ,. zines, out of which, week after week. issue appeals for justice to the decadent F ilroads and to Respondent railroad man agers. It gives dinners and holds public harquets where the eloquence of orators paints lurid pictures of empty treasuries, Of worn out tracks, of railing bridges and dilapidated equipment"
 Quotes Magazine
 Senator Cummins quoted from several magazine and newspaper account giving views of how different railroads had been
 
 and retrench in their expenditures, and asserted that the movers of this cam paign are trying to mslead and pervert the judgment of the people,
 "They are trying to awaken sympathy by false pretenses,' said he They are trying to deceive the country with ex- . aggerated cries of suffering and distress in order to escape the control which ex- perience has demonstrated should be im- posed upon all corporations which under- take public service"
 The senator did not doubt that there were some rates which should be in- creased and some which should be de- creased but recalled that substantially all the railroad rates now prevailing were made by the railroads themselves.
 He believed the physical condition of the railroads is better now than ever be- fore in their history, and added that ''all the Reclamation about railroads passing into decadence and becoming unsafe, or inefficient, is the rankest. baldest non sense."
 Tt is beyond doubt" he continued, that the railroads are now experiencing , somewhat severe depression"
 The senator said other industries are suffering as we'll as the railroads, and that this passing fluctuation in trade cannot be given reason why railroad rates should be increased
 He then took up what rate of return on sn investment of the railroads which the senator said have earned enough to pay per cent upon all their capital stock, but generally pay no more than per cent
 The senator concluded by reading ta- bles These showed the quotations of railroad stocks in recent years. He said these demonstrated stocks from 1896 to 1914 not only were higher, but stabler than the industrial stocks or any other securi- ties