Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-07
WHY THE COST OF OP-
GRATING RAILROADS
HAS BEEN INCREASED
STRUGGLING AGAINST INCREASED COST OF
LABOR, SUPPLIES, ETC, ON ONE
HAND-REDUCED RATES ON
THE OTHER.

During the last few years the advo-
Gates of government oWnershop Oh
railroads have been somewhat per-
sistent in the public press and the
matter is referred to here, not with any
idea of combating this propaganda,
but merely that the people may briefly
see both sides of the picture. SO long
as a lot Of men welcome the wrecking
of the railroads on the theory that the
government will take them over ana
that such a state Of affairs would be
preferable to private ownership. IT VIII
be Impossible to obtain from them
fair judgment of the latter system
which now prevails In the United
States. It is impossible to go into this
great question at any length at this
time, but here are few things worth
thinking about: Much has been said
in recent years about the water" con-
tanned in American railroad securities.
and, in this connection the valuation OF
the government owned railroads Of Eu-
rope is very interesting. In Germany
the state owned roads are valued at
s114,185 per mile, In Austria at $780,
692, in Hungary at 369,210, in Italy at
$126,886 in Belgium at $190,914, in
switzerdand at s1o2,95o in Roumania
at $90,113, in japan at sSS.104, in New
South Wales at s71,391-while the pri-
vately owned lines OF the United states
regardless of what water may have
been forced into them in specific in
stances. are valued at only $63,944 per
mile. Whatever imitation may there
fore have been put into these proper
Z ties in the past, the fact remains, that
| their present valuation Is much lower
| than that Of the government owned
railroads Of Europe, and. what is still
more important, the rates charged are
! the lowest and the service rendered adj
mittedly the best in the world. 1t Is
/ also pertinent to remember that the
charge Of watered stocks, after all, can
be made against but very few Ameri-
can railroads.&c. lions share of then
having been managed without breath
Of scandal or criticism.
In this connection, statement con.
tanned In the last annual report of the
Deutsche Bank of Berlin, which has {
paid-up capital and reserve fund O
SIS 100000, is interesting: American
railroads need higher rates. The pres
ent rates are the lowest in the worlt
representing but a fraction OF tn
English railway rates, for instance
and this in the face OF the fact tina
wages in the United States on the av
erage are fully twice as high ~ II
, Europe" Certainly this view Of tn
privately owned lines of the United
!. States, coming from Germany, which
!, has the most successful state ownc'
system Of transportation in the worlc
| - CfI la lon
In further confirmation OF this state
ment we quote the following statistics
1t costs mills per mile on an averag
to haul ton Of freight in the Unite
States while in England It costs a.
average Of 2.33 cents. in France Ia
cents and In Germany 1.42 cents. TIL
average daily wage paid to America
! railroad employees is 1928, in Englan
1t Is 31.15. and in, Germany and Franc
1t averages little more than dolla
: per day. Arc american railroads there
fore entitled to the wholesale abus
and denunciation which has bee
heaped upon them from oil sides In re
I cent years?
Letting Well Enough Alone.
In view OF these facts, the averag
citizen may well ask himself whethe
y 1t IL not best to let well enough alon
!, rather than invite other ills we kno'
= not of-whether it is not wiser to cur
!. such defects as may cucumber tn
;, present system rather than run tt
!. danger OF plunging this mighty indus
try into the whirlpool OF party polite
!, for all time. with its attendant oppo,
= tunity for evil of which the past al
fords such rich variety Of experienc
XII The United States is still q your
Z country, and in many sections on
r. partially developed. Many new lin,
! ana extensions are needed here o.
a there to give q wider opportunity
expanding agriculture and comrnerc