The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1916-06-16

For about two years the Santa Fe
Railway Has maintained a force Of
men at Amarillo In connection with
the valuation Of the American rail-
ways now being made by the Inter
state Commerce Commission. There
are at present flity-soyen men at
tached to the Amarillo office in con
ncction with the physical inyostlga-
ton OF Western lines OF which F., C..
Fox Is the General Manager. The ex-
ponso Is oorno by the railroad
Then Congress authorized the In
terstato Commerce Commission to
make this valuation. It was gener-
ally understood that the cost Of this
enormous undertaking would be paid
by the Federal Government. But the
plans were completed and II was
determined that the railroads should
supply the data, many Of them along
lines that required absolutely new
schedules. 1t then became apparent
that the heaviest cost would fall on
the railroads and eventually their
customers, the American public,
So far nineteen orders for In
formation have been issued by the
valuation division of the Interstate
Commerce Commission The first re-
qured detailed maps to be filed as Of
June 30. 1914, showing lines, loca-
ton. lands. structures. grades as
shown In the profile; In short the
map must have every possible de-
tail. q kind that few railroads have.
Next came an order for an inventory
Of an property Of the carriers. Field
parties were organized to 20 over the
roads In detail, the railroads being
required to supply pilots and other
assistance.
Much has been done so far. But
It will take at least four more years
to complete the work. including ac-
counting, original cost, the present
value and estimate OF what the re-
production cost new would be. Yet
really the only work fully organized
and progressing satisfactorily now Is
the physical examination OF the
property. something like sixteen field
parties being at work, They expect
to cover close to $4,000 miles year.
About $4,000 miles are completed
out Of over 100000 miles of rail-
road.
The director OF valuation Chas. A.
prouty of the Interstate Commerce
Commission estimates that this val
uation will cost the railroads posi-
bly, s35. 600, 10000 and the govern
mcnt about half of this amount. 1t
h likely that the total cost will ex-
coed this amount The making Of the
maps alone according to the COM
missioner is costing the railroads In
some instances $4,000 a mile, to
say nothing OF other things
fully as costly
In this connection statement
made last November by Mr.. Prouty
In a public address 90 worth noting
lie said "Now / speak from my ex-
porlence Of seventeen years as rail-
road commissioner when I say ] am
sure that all of as In the past have
been inclined to feel that whatever
was required Of railroad did not
cost anybody anything, certainly that
II did not cost the public anything.
But. my friends, we have come to
time when that error has become APP
parent We have come to time when
we realize that somebody has to pay
for this work the railroad does, and
that somebody Is the public"
The object Of this Federal yalu-
alton is to get a fair basis for rate
making. 1t is agreed that the rail-
roads are Untitled to a fair return on
the investment. when the value OF
the roads have been fully established,
the rates will be made accordingly.
when the work was first started.
many people In government circles
thought that this was the first step
towards government ownership. But
in two years those closest to this val
uatlon work have changed their
minds. It would cost close to twenty
billion dollars to acquire all the
railroads and II would place an en-
ormous debt on the nation.
A. NJ. HOVE.
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