The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-01-28
COMPARING EASTERN and
WESTERN RAILWAY RATES
IOWA RAILROADS PAY OUT MILLIONS
or DOLLARS ANNUALLY FOR LABOR.
FUEL, SUPPLIES AND TAXES.

less true, that in times past the peo-
pie of the average state have not re-
garded their railroads as an "indus-
try and yet there is hardly state
! in the Union in which the railroads
do not pay out more money for labor,
fuel 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 payrolls which
create a market for farm products
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
state or the nation, and that their
welfare is therefore closely linked to
that of the farmer, manufactures
and merchant-not merely because
they furnish freight and passenger
service, but because the millions they
disburse in one way and another con-
tribute tremendously to the prosper
ity Of the state in which we live.
Thus, next to real estate, the rail
roads are the largest tax payers in
the state of Iowa-their taxes for
1914 having aggregated 3,13S,-
5O4.27-and this tidy sum did it's
full share toward the support of ey-
cry public school, public highway and
other revenue expenses of the state.
In round figures, the railroads OF
Iowa are valued at $313,969,24S-
money which in years gone by was in
vested in these great arteries of COM
merce by thousands of men and wom-
en- who live all over the United States
and in Europe, and without whose
assistance the wonderful progress Of
our great state would have been i'm
possible. If, thirty or forty years ago,
these people had invested their mon
ey in Iowa farm lands instead Of
Iowa railroads-would not the invest
ment have proven infinitely more
profitable to them? On the other
hand, if somebody had not furnished
the money with which to build 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 Bert state
owe much to those from the outside
who furnished the millions necessary
to Industrial and agricultural devel-
opment and without which their re-
markable progress would have been
impossible?
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 $31,922,523.22
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 pat
ronage 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 100000, 900
per year throughout Iowa in salaries
to their employees, as well,sas paying
millions Of dollars for Iowa coal, Of
which they are the heaviest purchas-
ers in the state.
Thus when the people look at the
other side of the ledger--when they
think of the millions which the rail-
roads disburse to their thousands of
workingmen and the millions they
pay out for taxes, coal and other sup
plies, it can readily be seen that they
constitute an industry which deserves
the friendship and consideration of
every thoughtful citizen in the state.
THE BRANCH LINES OF IOWA.
It 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 heavier
volume of business and the longer
hauls on the latter. The total rail-
road mileage OF Iowa is 9,998.45
miles. OF this mileage, the four larg-
er companies. the Chicago, Burling-
ton & Quincy Railroad, the Chicago,
Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, the
Chicago & Northwestern Railway,
and the Chicago, Milwaukee & st.
Paul Railway own and operate 7,O37;
miles, Of which $500 miles or prac-
tically 63 per cents what would
be termed branch lines and which,
upon the basis of present freight
and passenger rates in this state it is
l,.rv.x, scihlosi IN nnorofn nrnfif h1v