Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-01-06

y
granted some days ago by the Inter
State Commerce Commission to Ger.
tain eastern railroads has very much
streng thened the plea Of the western
lines for an increase in rates is ad-
mttted upon every hand. II the east
<ern lines, where there is a greater
density OF tonnage naturally are en-
titled to such an advance-how much
more are the western lines entitled
!, to it? - .5f;s...s.. s&t,: ..-
In contemplating the crisis which
confronts the railroads at the pres
emit time, and which was briefly ex-
planned in last weeks article, 1t is
important for the reader to realize
that the railroads and the public
face each other under radically chang
ed conditions today from those which
prevailed few years ago. The abuses
and scandals which have been aired
before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission during recent months were
perpetrated for the most part under
the old regime of a dozen or SO years
ago, and can neve- be repeated un-
der the conditions which now pre-
vail. On the one hand, the Inter
state Commerce Commission and the
Public Utility Commissions, Legfsla-
lures or Railway Commissions say
what rates the railroads shall charge
for service. In addition to this,
q proposal Is now pending in Con-
4gress to give the government the
right to investigate all new inter
state securities before they can be
placed upon the market, while sim
Ia iSr al 1xy
cised within the states by the diff
ferent public service commissi ons.
This means that the last vestfge OF
control over their finances will have
been taken away from the railroads
and that henceforth their fate will
lie absolutely In the hollow of the
peoples hands. In, this connection,
we wish to again remind the reader
that the hundreds of honest railroad
Officials throughout the country
men who have managed their proper
ties without a breath OF scandal or
public should not be ) con-
demned because of the misdeeds of
the few. With an aroused public
conscience on the one hand and
scores of railroad officials through
out the country sincerely and active
.ly cooperating with the different
public authorities on the other, we
can safely let by-gones be by-gones-
wipe the slata, and, with a square
deal for the people, the investor and
the railroads alike, start over
again" ...
WHERE RAILROAD RECEIPTS
:G .5 GO. ....5
In order that the reader may real
ize what tremendous factor the
railroads are in the everyday bust
ness life Of the nation and what
they mean to its prosperity, we wish
tol analyze briefly what becomes of
az average years railroad income.
Just as the idea has prevailed In the
I'd nds OF many that the railroads are
o ned by a few rich men, so the
bught has also found deep root that
they collect millions Of dollars from
the public which go into the Golfers
ola handful OF millionaires, .3 and
which are permanently 5 withdrawn
from the thrift and industry Of the
people. .s3. .5 !. i s.sS
Y. At the close Of the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1913, the records at
Washington show that the railroads
o. the United States had collected a
gross income from all branches OF
their service amounting to $3,118,-
929, 31S. OF this sum, 1878, 1886, $3.50
Yves paid out for labor--or, to. put it
in another way, almost so cents out
Of every dollar they took in was im-
isediately paid out to the hundreds
OF thousands Of men and women
whom they employ in the conduct aof
their business. For maintenance Of
way, equipment, depots, etc, they
disbursed 1928, 167, 491-or almost an
other thousand million dollars-and
in this vast item the. reader can
grasp what railroad prosperity means
to the great steel mills, the lumber
and coal industry, the big car and
locomotive building concerns, and
other sources of. railroad supplies.
In taxes they paid out the enormous
sum of 1928, 052.922, which helped to
maintain the public schools, public
highways and other revenue expenses
OF every state. county and incor-
porated town and city in the coun-
try. After paying their operating