Barton County democrat., 1914-12-11

less than for l9l3-while expenS-
eS and taxes were S76,0O0,OOO
more. But heavy as this burden
was before, the great struggle
across the seas. carrying in its
wake the destruction of untold
hundreds of millions of dollars
worth of all kinds of property,
renders the situation a thousand
fold more serious. Ii means, in
short, that for a number of years
to come Europe will have no sur
plus money for investment in the
United States or elsewhere, and
that American railroads will have
to finance their future needs at
home. How Herculean this task
will be, saying nothing about pro-
tecting themselves against the
dumping of foreign securities,
may be judged from the fact that
the bond and note obligations
which will mature between now
and the end of next yesr and
which the railroads will have to
meet in some way amount to more
than S563,000. .000-and This does
Mt take a dollars worth of new
improvements or bettermentS in
to consideration. These are OBJ
legations which were incurred
in the past and which must be
met as they fall due if the trans
portation companies are to be pre-
served from wholesale receiver
ships and ruin.
ManifeStly, therefore, Ameri-
can investors, big and little, will
have to come to the reScue-and
before they will consent 10 de-this
American railroad securities will
have to be re-eStabliShed as a
sound, respected and paying in
veStment-and this, on the basis
OF present railroad earnings, is
impossible.
For this reason the railroads of
Kansas believe the impending cri-
sis demands that they lay this
whole problem before the people
OF the entire State-that they have
a heart to heart talk with the far
mer, the merchant, the manufac-
turer, the banker, the laboring
man, and all other citizens upon
this great question which so vi
tally affects the future welfare
OF the commonwealth.
Why Railroads Are Helpless.
In times of acute financial
stress, private industries are in a
position to very largely adjust
their affairs to meet the emer-
price of their commodities, cut
their payroll in half, or shut down
altogether and thus permit the
storm to blow over without actual
Shipwreck. The railroads are
are in an entirely diffent position.
Their rates are regulated by law
and cannot be advanced without
the consent of the people through
their law making bodies. In or
der to please the convenience of
the public and not to break down
the commerce of the country
they must operate their freight
and passenger trains whether
they carry a full load OF only a
quarter of a load-and in view of
these facts, it is manifeStly un-
fair to put the railroads in the
same class with private indus
tries in the present crisis and ask
them to shift for themselves as
best they can. When the people
took over the complete making
land regulation of railroad rates,
they at the same time assumed
the solemn implied obligation to
see that the railroads get a square
deal-for this is the only power
which stands between them and
ruin.
We believe every intelligent cit
iZen will agree that agriculture
commerce and industry cannot
get along without the railroads.
On the other hand, the railroads
cannot get along without the pa
tronage and, what is equally es-
sential, the good will, of the peo-
pie. That some of those who
have been entrusted with railroad
management in the past are some
what responsible for the apparent
gulf between the public and the
transportation companies is per-
haps true. Busy and harassed by
the Herculean tasks entrusted to