Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1915-01-29

l
| pie of the average state have not re-
garded their railroads as an indus
try'-and vet there is hardly a state
in the Union in which the railroads
co not pay out more money for Ia
Dor, fuel and supplies than does any
other single enterprise, however
large. We brag about our fertile
farm lands and rejoice that our
cities are filed with big factories
with big payrolls which create
market for farm products-but we
forget that more workingmen' s fam
lies depend upon the railroads for
a living than upon any other one
Industry in either the average state
| or the nation, and that their welfare
! is therefore closely linked to that OF
the farmer, manufacturer and mer-
crent-not merely because they fur
nish freight and passenger serv-
ice. but because the millions
they disburs in one way and
another contribute tremendously to
the prosperity of the state in
which we live. Thus, next to real es-
tate, the railroads are the largest
tax payers in the state Of Iowa
their taxes for 1914 having aggre-
gated $3,13s, this tidy
sum did it's full share toward the
support of every public school, public
highway and other revenue expense
Of the state.
In round figures the railroads OF
Iowa are valued at $313,969, gas
money which in years gone by was
invested in these great arteries OF
commerce by thousands of men ana
women who live all over the United
States and in Europe, and without
whose assistance the wonderful prog
ress Of our great state would have
been impossible. If, thirty or for
ty years ago, these people had in
vested their money in Iowa farm
lands instead of Iowa railroads
would not the investment have prov
en- infinitely more profitable to
them On the other hand, if some
body had not furnished the money
with which to build the railroads,
what would be the present value OF
Iowa farm lands. Is it not there
fore apparent that the people of
this and every other Corn Belt state
owe much to those from the outside
who furnished the millions neces-
sary to industrial and agricultural
development and without which
their remarkable progress would
have been impossible :?
According to the last report Of the
Iowa State Railway Commission the
railroads of Iowa employed 46,476
mer during the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1912, and paid out to them
in salaries the sum of 1892, 523.22
and these millions did their full
share to create profitable market
for Iowa farm products and to up
hold the volume of business of To-
wa grocers, clotheirs, dry goods men,
and others who depend upon the
patronage of the public. Since the
above report was made public, forced
economy has compelled the railroads
to discharge several thousand en-
ployees in this state-but the fact
remains that even at this time they
are scattering more than $30,0O0,0OO
per year throughout Iowa in salar-
ieS to their employees, as we'll as
paying millions of dollars for Iowa
coal, Of which they are the heaviest |
purchasers in the state.
Thus, when the people look a. the
other side Of the ledger-when they |
think of the millions which the rail-
roads disburse to their thousands OF
Fay out for taxes, coal and other
supplies, it can readily be seen that
they. constitute an industry which
deserves the friendship and consid-
Grafton Of every Thoughtful citizen in
the state
The Branch Lines of Iowa.
1t is 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
volume Of business and the
longer hauls on the latter. The to-
tai railroad mileage OF Iowa Is g.
99S.45 miles. OF this mileage, the
four. larger companies, the Chicago,
& Quincy Railroad, the
Rock Island & Pacific Rail-
read, the Chicago, & Northwestern
Railway, and the Chicago, Milwau-
kee & Saint Paul Railway own and
operate 1887 miles, OF which $500
miles-or practically SO per cent
Is what would be termed branch lines
and which, upon the basis of pres
ent freight and passenger rates in
this state it is impossible to operate
while in many instances
they are being operated at a big
loss; and yet. all of these $500 miles
Of branch lines which belong to on
ly four Of the larger systems are !
vitality essential to the agricultural
and commercial interests of the
hundreds of communities which
tl.ey serve. Surely a railroad has