Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1918-09-13
a:u ~: :. 4 y 4 n:a u:a u;u :. u
=: 20
{: SIN MONTHS or GOVERN ~
q: MENT OPERATION -
:. 3,
! - Il = 8: :: s: :: 3: :. 8: :. 4 4 3: ::

certain naliunaIi! known persons
ana several Influential new paper
I ui tin, East ha,. sought IL snow al
] ready The failure. financially, Of Gov
trnm.nt operation of IN" railroads
and through dint OF twisting the
facts, cutting out the favorable pDr-
tiuns, and printing only those which
al" uniiNurabl", haS" IN Il measure"
mad. it seem that such operation has
/ been "a failure
However, il remains for tn" Dallas
News To sum up tn" situation in
truth and fact, Just "a 1t Is, and the
following presentation of facts from
that worthy journal gives what ap
pears To h" tn" tru" situation.
During the slX months it has been
in control, the Government has tax
cn IN <2.UH2. $50, $50 from the Opvr
alton ui the railroads. The Opcrat-
| ing expenditures have been $l,Sl5.
1U6."Uo. The net income, therefore
has been S266, ,N30,S9O. But the six
months rental which the Government
is obliged To pay to the owners OF
the railroads is about $475,OUU,OUU.
The Governments loss for six months
900, ,UUu.
"Thc loss during the last six
months was probably much greater
than it will be during the next six
months. The increase in wages,
which was made retroactive to Jan.
l.. called for an expenditure Of about
$l33.O 900, 900, and that was taken
out of current revenues. More I'm
portant. the IS per cent rate increase
became effective only in June. II the
rate increase should yield 100000.
900 additional revenue during the
next six months, the net revenue
would be sufficient to pay the rental
due to the owners There is little ii
any likelihood that the increased rev.
enuc will he great enough to make
up tn" deficit already accrued. so
that il is Il GER. :nty that the first
year of G"v"rAL,ent operation will
impose Il jaA on tn" Federal Treas
ury
But. whatever the outcome may
be- as respects Government finances,
the countrys transportation bill for
tn" present year will be much great
cr than it was last year How much
II is likely to he is indicated by the
fact that operating expenses during
The first six months of this year hav"
been nearly $500, ,oUO.oOU greater
than for the sam" interval last year
This Indicates an annual increase of
| 900. .n"o.nno in the rOuntry'3
transportation hill. regardless OF
what part of it is paid ont of earn
inrs and what part brought into tn.
Treasury by taxation
This Increase is not chargeable to
Government operation. unless the in
cr"aS" in the wages Of employees i
charE"ahlr to Government operation
That charg" could hardly be made.
since il is certain that AT least some
incrcas" of wages would hav" been
made. even if tn. Government had
not assumed control. II may be-
found. when all the detailed facts ar"
asccriaincd. that tn" increased cost
of transportation. great as il is. is
less than it would have been under n
continuance of private operation
That. indeed. may be regarded As
fairly certain, sine" the Government
has effected numerous economies
and even rhcaucnrd tn" service. I.ik"
all other expense borne by the people
of The country. the increase in the
transportation bill is chargcablr 10
the war. The chief item is the in
crease in wages. but the cost of coal
and of all things needed in railroad
ing has gone up. The most interest
ing question is whether. despite tn"
economies effected by the conSolida
tions mad" possibl" by Government
control, the - per cent advance in
freight rates will increase revenue
sufficiently to pay operating cxpen-
SrS and lie rental due the owners "