Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1921-09-30
RAILROADS HOLD COUNTRY
BACK.
Senator Capper Cites Many Instan-
ces in Letter to President.
Copy of Letter. }

just returned to Washington from
a recess visit to Kansas, 1t occurred
to me you might be interested in
learning at nearly first hand what
issue the Middle West is giving
foremost place to at this time. Its
burning ISSUE" to put it in SEN
tence, is the necessity for immedi-
railroad freight rates.
l heard this on all sides and from
all conditions of men wherever /
went. | talked with many business
men and farmers TO find their minds
invariably more strongly centered
on this subject than on any .othsr
national or local problem. While
they do not overlook the fact that
some reductions have been made, the
general feeling is that the high
rail rates more than everything
else are preventing the return of the
country to normal conditions and
are seriously interfering with the
best efforts of the farmers and stock
men to get back on their feet.
1t seems most short-sighted
policy for the roads to continue to
stand pat high rates and lose
business, while taxing the men who
are the biggest shippers in the coun-
try out of the market.
1t is possible to ship eggs 10000
miles by water, from San Francisco
to Shangai and from Shangai to
New York. and save rs cents a
hundred pounds over the rail rate
across this continent
AS showing how the railroads
themselves have suffered from the
situation, we now have the figures
of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission admitting that 73 1l2 mil
lion fewer Americans used the rail-
roads the first half of this year
than travelled during the same
months last year, and that Psi mil
lion tons less freight was hauled.
The Middle West has shipped from
10000 to $4,000 fewer cars of hay
this season to the Kansas City hay
fore the last increase in freight
rates went into effect. l have
this from the superintendent OF that
market. The worlds greatest hay
market is at Kansas City. The
high rates have simply cut the total
of its average years business in
two
There are commodities today in
every part Of the United States that
can not and Slll not be moved,
simply bers use Under the high rates
they cannot be moved at profit.
These rates ac mittedly have killed
.hc markets for soft coal, hay h 'es
and sheep. building materials nd
steel
During July of this year the San
tie Fe Railway earned million dol-
lar. noe tLau It's expenses ''ds
not because of increased traffic. Its
traffic revenue showed a decrease
for that month of s1,77O.522 These
earnings were made by reducing eN-
penses. The Labor Boards two
awards yon wages and shop time
are reported to have cut this West
ern roads expenses for that month
between IL and IA percent. The
road was enabled to operate for GO
percent. of its income. In pre-war
times a railroad operating at 70
percent was considered the pink OF
efficiency.
With the 400 millions or more
which the railroads of the country
will gain through wage reductions
togather with other economies OF
operation. the public will expect a
general reduction in rail rates. and
has a right to. Such reduction
will bring the raods an increase of
tonnage that will compensate for II
not exceed the loss. Any other pol
fey, 1t seems to me. cannot fail to
react as disastrously on the future
earning power of the roads as 1t will
on general business
F. w. Peck, Minnesota's agricul-
tural extension expert, tells the
Interstate Commerce Commission
that the average farmer in that rich
country earns only 10 cents an
hour in wages because of high
freight rates and low prices. Oui
of this Is cents an hour must come
taxes, interest on borrowed money