Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-01-27
Comparing Eastern and
Western Railway Rates
Iowa Railroads Pay Out Millions of Dollars Annually
r.. for Labor, Fuel, Supplies and Taxes.

IL 1S q . VI duEC 4oSI, uue ASN
true, that in times past the people Of
the average state have not regarded
!, their railroads as an 'industry'-ant
yet there Is hardly state in the
7 Union in which the railroads do not
pay out more money for labor, fue
and supplies than does any other sin
gle enterprise, however large. We
7 brag about our fertile farm lands anC
rejoice that our cities are filled with
big factoSies', with big payrolls which
create a market for farm products
Y but we forget that more working
mems families depend upon the rail
roads for living than upon any 9th
er one industry in either the average
stataaor the nation, and that their
Jwek,fe is therefore closely linked
to that of the farmer, manufacturer
[ ana merchantmen merely because
Z they furnish freight and passenger
service, but because the millions they
furnish freight and passenger ser.
vice, but because the millions they
disbufse in one way and another CON
tribf1te ,trsm endously to the prosper
ity is6i Hs state in which we live
- lext to real estate, the rail-
r0H Ire the largest tax payers in
rs tie Of Iowamthsir +, taxes axe 8, o for
and this tidy sum did its full share
toward the support -,tof every public
school, public highway and other
revenue expense Of the state.
In round figures, the railroads of
Iowa are valued at $313,969, PAS
money which in years gone by was
invested in these great arteries of
comm cree by thousands Of men and
! women who live all over the United
States and in Europe, and without
whose assistance the wonderful pro-
gress of our great state would have
been impossible. * If, thirty or forty
years ago, these people. had invested
their money in Iowa farm lands in
stead OF Iowa railroads-would not
the investment have proven infinite
ly more profitable to them? On the
other hand, if somebody had not fur
nished he money with which to builc
the railroads, what would be the
present value of Iowa farm lands?
Is it not therefore apparent that the
people Of this and every other Corn
Belt state owe much to those from
the outside who furnished millions
tural development and without which
their remarkable progress would have
been impossible?a = "~ -"~ '""r 80 -
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, 1912, and paid out to them
in salaries the sum OF $31 ,922, $40 IL
and !, these millions did their full
share to create profitable market
for Iowa farm products and to up
hold 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 public, fore
Cd economy has compelled the rail-
roads to discharge several thousand
employees in this state-but the TACT
remains that even at this time they
are scattering more than $SO,0OO,0OO
per year throughout Iowa in salaries
to their employees, as well, as pay
ing millions of dollars for Iowa coal,
of which they are the heaviest pur-
chasers in the state.
Thus, when the people look at the
other side of the ledger-when they
think Of the mill ns which the rail-
roads disburse to their thousands or
workingmen and the millions they
pay out for taxes, coal, and other
supplies it can readily be seen that
they constitute an industry which de-
serves the friendship and considera-
ton of every thoughtful citizen in
the state. .
THE BRANCH LINES OF IOWA.
1t is a we'll known fact that it is
ordinarily much more expensive to
operate branch lines than main lines,
and this Is true because of the, heav-
Ter volume of business and the long
er hauls on the latter. The total rail-
road mileage of Iowa is $685.
miles. OF this mileage, the four large
companies, the Chicago, Burling ton
& Quincy Railroad, the Chicago, Roc]
Island & Pacific Railroad, the Chica,
20 & Northwestern Railway, and the
Chicago, Milwaukee & Saint Paul
Railway own and operate 1887 miles
o. which $500 miles-ors practically
63 per CENTS what would be term.
ed branch lines and which, upon the
basis of present freight and passen
ger rates in this state it is impos'
sibLe to operate profitably, while in
many instances they are being oper.
ated at a big loss; and yet, all OF
these $500 miles of branch lines
which belong to only four of the
larger systems are vitality essential
to the agricultural and Commercial
interests of the hundreds of commun
tiles which they serve. Surely q
railroad has just as much right to
expect fair return upon the money
it has invested in branch line as
upon that which it has invested in
its main line which is largely sup
poted by interstate tbusin ess-ano
when existing rates render this i'm
possible, it means that it cannot give
to the people the adequate and eff
ticient service so, necessary to agri