The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-01-27

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yet there is hardly state in the uniol
in which the railroads do not pay GU
more money for labor, fuel and SUP
plies than does any}other single enter
prise. however large. We brag abou
!, our fertile farm lands and rejoice tina
Jour cities are filled with big factorie.
with big payrolls which create
market for farm products-but we for
get that more workingmen's families
depend upon the railroads for living
than upon any other one industry IL
either the average state or the nation
and that their welfare is therefore
closely linked to that of the farmer
manufacturer and merchant - not
merely because they furnish freight
and passenger service, but because the
millions they disburse in one way and
another contribute tremendously to
the prosperity of the state in which we
live. Thus, next to real estate, the
railroads are the largest tax payers
in the state of lowa-their taxes for
1914 having aggregated ,13S,504.27-
and this tidy sum did its full share
toward the support OF every public
school, public highway and other
revenue expense OF the state.
In round figures, the railroads OF
Iowa are valued at $313,9G9, 24S--
money which in years gone by was in
vested in these great arteries OF con
MERGE by thousands of men and wom-
en- who live all over the United States
and in Europe, and without whose
assistance the wonderful progress Of
our great state would have been i'm
possible. II. thirty OF forty years ago,
these people had invested their money
in Iowa farm lands instead of iowa
railroads-would not the investment
have proven infinitely more profitable
to them? On the other hand, If some
body had not furnished the money
with which to build the railroads, what
would be the present value of Iowa
ent that the people OF this and every
other corn belt state owe much to
those from the outside who furnished
the millions necessary to industrial
and agricultural development and
without which their remarkable prog
ress would have been impossible?
According to the last report of the
Iowa State Railway Commission the
railroads of Iowa employed 46,476 men
during the fiscal year ending June 80,
1872. and paid out to them in salaries
the sum Of s31,922, 523.22-and these
millions did their full share to create
a profitable market for Iowa farm
products and to uphold the volume OF
business of Iowa grocers, clothiers,
dry goods men and others who depend
upon the patronage of the public.
Since the above report was made pub
lie, forced economy has compelled the
railroads to discharge several thousand
employees in this state-but the fact
remains that even at this time they
are scattering more than $30,00O,0OO
per year throughout Iowa in salaries
to their employees, as we'll as paying
millions of dollars for Iowa coal, OF
which they are the heaviest purchas-
ers in the state.
Thus, when the people look at the
other side of the lcdger-when they
think OF the millions which the rail-
roads disburse to their thousands of
workingmen and the millions they pay
out fer taxes, coal and other supplies.
it can readily be seen that they con-
stitute an industry which deserves the
friendship and consideration OF every
thoughtful citizen in the state.
The Branch Lines of Iowa.
1t is a well known fact that iS>.is
ordinarily much more expensive to
operate branch lines than main lines,
and this is true because OF the heavier
volume of business and the longer
hauls on the latter. The total railroad
mileage of Iowa is 9,99S.45 miles. OF
this mileage, the four larger COM
panies, the Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy Railroad, the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific Railroad, the Chicago
e Northwestern, Railway, and the
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul Rail-
way own and operate 1907 miles, OF
which 5,592 miles-or practically SO
per CENTS what would be termed
branch lines and which, upon the basis
of present freight and passenger rates
i'll this state it is impossible to oper-
ate profitably, while in many instances
they are being operated at big loss;
and. yet, all of these $500 miles OF
branch lines which belong to only four
of the larger systems are vitality essen
tial to the agricultural and commercial
interests OF the hundreds OF COM
munities which they serve. Surely a
railroad has Sust as much right to eX-
pect e fair return upon the money it
has invested in a branch line as upon
that which it has invested in its main
line which is largely supported by in
terstate business-and when existing
rates render this impossible, it means
that it cannot give to the people the
adequate and efficient service so
necessary to agricultural and CONNER
sal growth and development. No
other central state is so well supplied
with railroad facilities as is Iowa
there being but few points in the state
which are more than dozen miles re-
moved from steam road facilities-and
that it is of the highest Importance to
The people that this network OF rail
reads be given sufficient income so
they may be maintained in a high
state of efficiency should be apparent
% every thinking man.
AS to whether the. railroads OF Iowa
ire justified in asking for some sub
,tantial increase in freight and passen-
yer rates, we wish to cite the recent
lecision of the Interstate Commerce
commission in granting a 5 per cent
Increase in freight rates to eastern
ines fact with which the reader is