Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1915-01-08

tant in itself, assumes a much great
er Importance in it's evidence to the
world that the needs of the railroads
are receiving full attention at the
hands of the Commission. 1t is be-
lieved that the denial of the petition
of the Eastern roads for an increase
would have meant additional rail-
road receiverships which would have
brought other business disasters in
their wake The effect of the de-
cision is, therefore, far-reachlng and
even though, as estimated, the in
creased income to the roads them
selves may only run from 80 to 40
million dollars annually, this com
paratively modest sum added to the
revenues of the railroads would mean
an increase in the general business
| of the country Of more than one
million dollars per day. The rail
roads will pay this money for labor
and materials; the material makers
will pay it for labor and raw mater
| ials; in the end it all goes for labor
and with it the laborer supplies his
needs which means business in al
most every line of human endeavor
| If any shipper feels that he is hit
too hard by this rate increase, we
suggest that it may prove cheaper
! for him than any other form of war
| tax because it is an investment
which will Immediately increase bust
ness. The Commission did not de,
eide that the railroads themselves
deserved it but did decide that they
needed it; it was patent that the
country needed it and, while the
railroads get it first, we all get our
part of that 80 or 40 milliondollars
finally. 1t is hoped that the request
for an increase by the railroads in
the Mississippi Valley will be taken
up Immediately and disposed of al
an early date. 1t is Of the utmost
importance that the railroads know
what their real incomes are to be
in 1915 as their maturities alone to
tai 600 million dollars without regard
to dividends, interest or financing
extensions, equipment and other i'm
proVements.
| In November, there were 1,7OC
| D,,c Ho; wit loI n1
% million dollars compared with 100
failures in November year ago with
liabilities of "a million dollars. There
were only 25 large failures compared
with so last month and 40 in No
vember of last year. The liabilities
of these % totaled 10 million dollars
so that the remaining 1875 averaged
less than 10 thousand dollars each.
Gross Earnings of railroads for Oc
tober were 269 million dollars com
pared with 298 a year ago, falling
off of 10 per cent, while Net Earn
ings were SO millions compared with
So year ago, a decline of 8 pei
cent. Although the Southern GROUP
and the Pacific Coast Group showed
the heaviest decline in gross, a con
siderable decline was recorded by al
of the groups. The New England
Group, the Eastern and Middle Group
and the Southwestern Group, all
managed to show some gain in net
the gain by the New England
Group amounting to nearly pei
cent, the others being a mere frac
ton.
| Building Operations in $50 cities
totaled So million dollars compared
with So millions last year. The lum
Der cut for October was 900 million
feet compared with $40 year age
but shipments were only 827 million
feet compared with 839 year ago
AS these reports do not cover the
same number Of mills, the actual
showing was a decline of 100 million
feet in cut for the month and Of 15z
| million feet IN shipments.
The Pig Iron production for No
vember was 1918 thousand tons
which is the low record for any
month for five years. The untitled
tonnage of the Steel Corporation al
the close of November was 1922
thousand tons compared with 3,461 6
month ago and 1896 a year ago. The
mills of the Corporation shipped al
the rate of one-third of capacity dur
ing November. TIL railroad rate de
cision will be a boon to the iron
and steel trade and probably the re
ported reduction in wages under con
sideration by the Steel Corporation
can be indefinitely postponed if rail
road buying increases in volume i'm
mediately.
The coming year will be an event
full one in American commercial his