The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-25
SQUARE DEAL PLEA
Topekan in Speech Before Atlantic
City Convention.

A plea for square deaP' for Amer
lean railroads is contained in the ad-
dress of G. W.. Gibbons, foreman
painter for the Santa Fe in Topeka
and vice president of the Master Car
and Locomotive Painters association,
in the convention of the association in
session in Atlantic City last week.
Mr. Gibbons quotes the following
from the State Journal and comments:
Osborne, Kan, March 4, 1916.-On
account of poor facilities for trans
portatioH in the past. farmers from
other section of the state have fought
shy of Osborne county. Since work
has started on the Salina-N orthern
the land business of this country has
taken jump Eight of the largest
farms have been sold recently and
many more sales are pending. One of
the largest deals made was the sale
of farms by Layton Brothers to sew
eral Osborne county men for nearly
$4,000 cash. This is more than $6c
per acre. (Note-the writer under
stands that a few years ago land in
Osborne county sold for $40 an acre.)
Covert, Kan, March s, 1916.-This
inland town in Osborne county has a
show of getting the Salina-Northern
railroad before the close of 1915.
From 1885 to 1890 The town had sew
eral live business houses including a
newspaper. When the Union Pacific
built their line from Salina to Lincoln,
PlainSville and other towns started up
and Covert went back. Since work
commenced or the Salina-Northern,
Covert has awakened. Her people
have pledged the promoters and build
ers all they asked. Recently $4,000
school building has been completed
and a charter for bank has been ap-
piled for and they stand -eady to
build an elevator and put up lumber
yard" (Note-The Salina-Northern
built thirty six miles of track in 1879
In spite of the increased mileage and
the natural growth of the business of
the country, 104,374 men were de-
prived of the positions that they had
on the railroad in 1907. In spite of
the great saving this appears to be on
its face for the railroads, at the close
of the year 1915, there were 20,143
miles of railroads in the. hands of re-
ceivers, as against 81 at the close
of year 1907, and yet during this per-
iod of depression upon railroads, our
country has been blessed with good
crops, the foreign wars have created
an unusual demand for the products
of our farms, mines and factories,
! prices have scared and the expense of
operation has increased. The rail-
roads have used up all their available
material, their equipment and track
has been worked to the limit and must
| be renewed if the business of the
country is to be handled properly.
How many towns and counties in
our country are lying dormant or go
ing back because of the lack of con-
| fidence of men with capital in the fu-
| ture ability of the railroads to pay a
reasona BILE return on the investment.
Let US hope that out of the chaos
that has brought, the railroads of our
country to the verge of financial dis
aster, there will be an evolution that
will place them on a firmer business
basis and that the people will have a
better and clearer appreciation of
their work. That we are justified in
this hope is evidenced by the fact that
| the interstate commerce commission
after hearing evidence from all inter
| ested parties and carefully studying
the situation from all angles, has Civ
en- the railroads an increased rate on
! freight and passenger business. The
immediate response of the weakened
pulse of the business of the country
| to this stimulant ought to show the
most obtuse politicians that the rail-
roads serve the same function to the
business body of our country as the
arteries and veins do to the human
body and if they become diseased or
| congested by lack of proper nourish-
ment, the entire physical condition of
! the bOdN itself is weakened