The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1917-05-29
R BY G.. n. BOWER.
Delivered to the Mississippi Press As
sociation at Laurel On May
IL 1917.

here today, also your kindness in gfv-
ing me an opportunity of addressing
you on a matter Of vital Importance
to the Railroads, and, we feel, Of the
same importance to the public.
OF course, the leading subject Of
thought and conversation in these
days is the war. Next to this subject
probably the one Of most Importance
to the American people is the high
cost of living, while the n topic in
Railway circles is how to pay the in
crease in wages under the Adamson
Act, and pay for coal, steel and other
supplies that have increased so much
in the cost within the last few years.
The increase in wages and cost Of sup
plies are the vital question in Railway
circles today, and the public has as
great, OF even a greater interest
therein. The Hon. Chas. A. Prouty, at
that time a Commissioner of the In
terstate Commerce Commission, in his
address in Pittsburg in March 1912,
said:
Suppose organized Railway labor
makes a further demand for increased
wages, and that the Railroads accede
to this demand. The increased wage
adds to the expense Of operation and
reduced revenue. The Railroad applies
to the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion for leave to advance its rates on
this account. What now is to be the
answer Of the Commission
This is just what happened, except
Congress passed the Adamson Law,
the Supreme Court held that it was
valid, and the Railroads now ask the
Interstate Commerce Commission for
an increase in freight rates to pay the
increase allowed the trainmen COM
mencing January l, 1917. This in
creaDs the pay rolls of the Illinois
Central and Yazoo & Mississippi Val
ley Railroads 1926, 100000 a year, and
increases the pay rolls of all other
roads in the United States approx.
mately sixty million per annum.
There can be no argument but that
a satisfactorily operated Railroad must
have sufficient revenue to pay expe4-
! SEES and a fair return On the capital in.
vested, and as the public is absolutely
dependent upon good transportation
facilities, just al much as the Rail.
roads are dependent upon the good
will Of the people, then the public is
or should be, very much interested in
all the perplexing problems confront
ing the Railroads today.
The people Of the United States arr
trying an experiment which has never
been attempted before successfully
viz, to build and operate Railroads
with private capital under rules, reg
ulations and rates fixed by the public
through the Interstate Commerce
Commission and State Railroad Com
missions 80 it is, therefore, quite evi
dent that all questions like unjus
claims, trumped up personal injur!
suits, increase in wages and paying
ten hours salary for eight hours worl
are of vital Importance to the publ
as we'll as the Railroads. :.
In January, 1907, the late J. J. Hill
sent his famous letter to the Govern
or of Minnesota, in which he stated
that if the Railroads in this countr,
were to adequately handle the freigh
traffic in the then nea future, the,
would have to spend annually a billio
dollars for the following five year
. from 1907, and that to do this, the
must be given an increase in freigh
rates to secure the necessary revenue
to enlarge their terminal facilities an
: ! to purchase needed supplies and NOR
eouipment. The Railroads were no
. eiyen any advances in freinght rate
] and the last two years very plainl
: demonstrated the truth Of MI. Hill
predictions, and while in those tw
wears the Railroads generally mad
sufficient money, there were too mar
|. lean years when they were only abb
. to pay operating expenses and lei
with no revenues for additional facil
= . ties and the purchase Of the necessa1
additional equipment to handle freig'
business in 1%916-1917.
, The question Of Railway revenue
cannot be said to meap simply II
q interest of shipper and stockholde
The public, the great mass OF our PEI
pie who seem to think that it is
question to be settled by the Int
state Commerce Commission and Sta
Railroad Commissions must wake !
to the fact that poor railroads me-
POOR villages, poor towns and poor Ct
les and II this country Of OUR is
expand and grow, keeping pace wi
present day development, the Railro'
revenues must be sufficient to give
fair return n,the capital invested q
the capital to be secured for futu
improvements. Also bear in mind tn
Every dollar borrowed to improve ma
: road property puts a mortgage
the future, increasing the fixed cha
!, pes which must be met, that nc oth
business is carried on in this way q
the day must come whom the borrow
y capital must be paid up.
As just stated, there are . NUMB