Omaha daily bee., 1915-03-02
HIRTH PRESENTS
RAILROAD CASE
Missouri Editor, in Address to Hast
ings Commercial Club Discusses
Proposed Rate Raise.
PUTS IT UP TO THE PEOPLE

HASTINGS. Ncb., March l.-tSpccial
elegramD-William IIirth OF Columbia.
Mo-. editor Of the Missouri Farmc", adj
dressed a large body OF representative
business men ct the commercial club 5
lunch today on general business condl-
tions and their relation to railroad in
torests lie defended the railroads plea
for the right to raise passenger fares
from > to 2la cents in Nebraska. +. y.
Clarke. president of the Commercial club
presided at the meeting, which mani
tested friendly feeling for the speaker
and the railroads. \ large number of
Hastings business mon have signed pc
tition urging the legislative not to enact
any unfair anti-railroad measures. and
also that the railroads he accorded a full
and fair hearing.
"All the railroads arc asking for at
this time is simply fair hearing" said
Mr.. Hrth. The Interstate Commerce
commission told the president of the
American railways to carry their case e
tho people e discuss it in the forum Of
public expression, and that is precisely
what VIC arc Attempting TO do. We are liv-
ing in the era of lot the people rule, and
We are now assuming that the people arr,
tho ones to pass upon our case. There.
fore We are here presenting it to them.
and we know they will hear US fairly.
American business is fairly in the po.
sition of a patient who has been corr
nellcd TO take the medicine of dozc.,
different doctors. each doctor insisting
that he shall gulp down his particular
kind Of nostrum. AS n result We arc ia
the throes of an industrial nausea.
Investments Arc DiscredItcd.
Securities and investments generally
are dscreditcd. Idle men by the thous-
ands abound I'm every large center OF
population, and progress and cNpaus OH
| everywhere is at a standstill, and I'm the
meantime the banks arc filled with mil
! lions of capital. which is afraid to ven
| ture out upon an uncertain and tenn
/ pestuous financial sea Surely it is time
/ Tor political specialists and quack doe
tors to give us a little rest. for upon this
depends whether they will have a patient
to practice and experiment on in the
: future"
/ Touching the railroad situation. Mr.
Hirth showed that the railroads OF tho
country pay out for labor almost 50 cents
of every dollar they earn. He showed
|
operate a railroad what it cost a few
years ago. For instance, in the matter
of increased pay to employees, he showed
that In fourteen years the pay of en-
gineers had increased Sc per cent, fire
men, 81 per cent; conductors, As per cent
ordinary trainmen, 20 per cent, with
similar increases all along the line. The
same Is true of supplies and equipment
In g-,sl a
now they pay &l.s. Then they paid d
cents for ties, now they pay 50 cents
and up.
Nebraska Railroads Lose Money,
lie pointed out that in Nebraska for the
fiscal year 1913 the Missouri Pacific
actually lost more than $4,000 on its
total Nebraska business. and that the 81
Joseph Grand Island sustained an
actual operating loss of more than $50 OJD
In Nebraska Coming down 10 the nues-
ton of 23-cent passenger fare for Ne
braska, Mr. Hirth cited the action of
I former Governor Hughes of New York
VINO four years ago, vetoed a 2-cent mas
sengcr law for that state on the ground
that IT was arbitrary and did not give
lair consideration 10 the railroad inter
ests IF the state of New York. with the
density of population of 2O4 TO the square
mile, cannot produce fair returns to the
railroads on cents a mile, how can the
state OF Nebraska with sixteen persons
to the square mile be expected to do ito"
ne asked There is Massa chusetts. with
AL to the square mile: Pennsylvania. with
lSl; Ohio, with l22; not one OF which has
2-cent rate, but here comes Nebraska,
with its sixteen persons to the square
mile insisting on cents as compensatory
Twenty Millions In Wages.
Nebraska railroads last year employed
dH'b3i men and women in this state at an
aggregate wage OF over $4,000. 900 and this
money did its full share to create prof
liable markets for Nebra ska products and
TO build up all or Ncbraska's industrIeq
and institutions
But this standard Of prosperity cannot
long be maintained II VIC are going 10
continue TO hedge about the railroads
with unfair limitations. What we ought
J TO do in Nebraska, farmer. merchant
manufacturer and every other business
and professional interests. is 10 COOPER.
ate with the railroads toward the upbuild
ing OF their prosperity and ours, which Is
entirely mutual"