The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-01-09
RAILROADS OF KANSAS
LOSING THOUSANDS
PAY MILLIONS TO PEOPLE IN WAGES, TAXES AND
FOR SUPPLIES EVERY YEAR.
KANSAS AND THE RAILROADS.


true, that in times past the people OF
the average state have not regarded
their railroads as an industry and
yet, next to agriculture, there is not a
single Central or Western state in
which the railroads do not pay out more
money for labor and supplies than does
any other single enterprise, however
large. We brag about our fertile farm
lands and rejoice that our cities are
filled with big factories with big pay
rolls which create a market for farm
products-but we forget that more
workingmen's families depend upon the
railroads for a living than upon any
other one industry in either the average
state or the nation and that their well
fare is therefore closely linked to that
of the farmer and the merchantmen
merely because they furnish him 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, for instance, the railroads are
the largest taxpayers in the state OF
Kansas. While the returns are not en-
tirely complete for 1914, the railroad
taxes of the year just closed can safely
be estimated at s., $50, O0O-and this
tidy sum did its full share to support
every public school, highway, and to
help meet every other revenue expense
Of the state.
I'M Il, 1&U n~Sao 70 od
in 1914 on properties valued at 1884, 904,-
955-money which in years gone by
was invested in these great arteries of
commerce by thousands of men and
women who live all over the United
States and in Europe, and without
whose financial assistance the wonder
full progress of our proud common
wealth would have been impossible.
During the year ending June 80, 1914.
the railroads of Kansas employed AZ 1913
men and paid out to them in salaries
SIS, 5e9, 150-and these millions did their
full share TO create market for Kan
sas products and to uphold the volume
of business Of Kansas.grocers, clothiers,
dry goods men, and others who depend
upon public patronage.
During the year 1914, the railroads
of Kansas paid out nearly 5000, 600 for
coal-ana the lions share of this went
TO Kansas miners, of whom the rail-
roads are by far the largest patrons.
So, toe, in an average year they con-
sumo more than forty million gallons
Of oil.
In ether words, when the people of
Kansas loek~ at their railroads in the
light of an industry-when they look at
the figures on the other side of the
led0er-they will find that not only do
the railroads return to them in one way
and another practically every dollar
they collect within the state for freight
and passenger Service, but that num-
Der of lines are actually doing this BUSH
ness at a loss, while with others the
margin of profit is so small that it
doesn't begin to pay fair return upon
the invested capital, upon which they
pay higher rate Of taxation to the
state than does any other form of pri-
vate property.
In this connection, we wish to digress
for moment to quote some statistics
which should have had a place in for
mer article. It costs an average of z
mills per mile to haul ton of freight
In the United States, whereas in Eng
land it costs 2.33 cents, in Germany
lag cents, and in France 1.41 cents.
In the United States the average wages
paid to railroad employees are 1928 per
day, In England 81. 15, and in Germany
and France not over 81 per day. The
English railroads are capitalized at
$685., 900 per mile, in France at $137 900
per mile, in Germany at STA, 1S5-while
in the United States the stock and bond
capitalization averages only $50, GOO per
mile. Ia view of this remarkable COM
parison, do. American railroads deserve
the wholesale denunciation which has
been heaped upon them?
Losses ON PASSENGER TRAFFIC.
IN the appicstion recently fled by
the Kansas lines before the State Pub
lie Utilities Commission for restora-
ton Of the three-cent passenger fare,
the Missouri Pacific fled data showing
that it had sustained loss on its Kan
sas passenger traffic during the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1918, amounting
to s4O2, 1881. For the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1914, the losses on its Kan
sas passenger traffic had increased t.
S4zS, 1863. Tor SAT ,2O6.41 over the year
before.
The Rock Island filed data showing
that it lost $50, 632 during 1913 on it.
Kansas freight and passenger business
and that OF this amount its less in tn,
passenger department was $29, O73
That its general losses are rapidly in
creasing is also shown by the fact tina
It only earned 2.25 per cent on its Kan
sas property in 1918 on both interstate
and state business while in 1914 it earn
ed only is per cent on its Kansas in
vestment
The Santa Fe filed evidence showing
that in 1913 it lost SIC, 1927 on it
Kansas freight and passenger business