The evening herald., 1921-05-15

NWI|""|I A""'""~@"N 80 -
Eonor. The Herald.
Alhuqucrquc. y. n.
Dear sIr;
reaa with interest your editorial
In The Herald under the hcaainS'
s-rhc railway executives are
feus busy erplalninE why. N
splfc ~ increased rates ana gov
eminent guarantee money. the
railroads are slipping further
ana further In the hole"
Then you proceed TO tell siort
about a county lawyer who told the
court that;
m the train had been running
a. sne ahould have been ran; y
tht neu had been runs
should have been rang; n the
wfIHl1 had been blown rs a
ehould hnve becn blew. both on
1hlrh thev did uellher. tho cpN
would not have been injured
uhon she WAS Killed.
Thcnk You very much for the story.
n rives me Az opportunity 20 SCI
some ,hlnes on my nlind. heta tol-
low the country lawyers ~ arfe-
lnonl 4 1iL If the world war naan
come. the 4. 3. government Nou's
not have taken the rainoaas anu
used tncm loE N.I I"' 49, ~ - A..
turned them back 20 their owners IN
| n -doan condition. aud al a time
whom the builness o. the country
hnslne reached thc peak. was hegin-
rl,,.- 40 nlnnap T'he railroad u
ahn,,t In the p0Nlon Of the soldier
Who returned hone out or money. his
iob gone. and his Girl married 20 =
foIIow who had bccn exempted from
rrr.lce on account "a his connection
Win an s'rsecnilal Industry
NIr' araln. u the s1Nernmen. haa
Enranteca retprns 20 me ssntVah
"a YOU would have your readrrs be-
lleVe. xou might have ground for pro.
trsf You. n common with good
many other citizens, have tho notion
/ ~. the transportation Law cnatcteu
Nv conercss IN i9eo guafantecy
inlniraufn ffluu pf per cent -
cVnrv railroad ] would IKE 70 cor
rect that impression.
Foilowlne the specific requirement.
u thc new Aw. Tho intersiatr evtn.
inerco commission divided th'
lVnlttd states Into four regions io'
|fntc makinB purposes; ~ use ea-a
lf1l t.fc crntiul part ~ the cVun.ry
east % The rocky mountains. ana ~
The ts.rriiory west Of tbs rgckics inh
done. ihc commission made Nah''
lfion 81 All the railroads ~ reeicns
nrd then estahslshed freight ans
s,araenrer rates which. IN rs ludx
ment. would give an aBercxnte rstuf'
of per cent on the total value 2
4 the railroad property ~ each teeion
Dut no Individual road y guarantee
N per cent nor any other nate "i ~
rne law fixed sss pee cent as th
minimum earnings ou which IN
cnmbined railroads of region tal
,afelv operate, and gave the com
mh-sion the discretion % raising 70
minlmunn rate Of return 70 pe
lcent, which was done IN the case r.
Gently declded.
A compctlfion--Onc purpose OF IN
llaw-is maintained IN every feslou
aud the railroads will ftEht Tor nus,
ness a. they did before the war.
any road falls 20 secure suhlc'eh
'husiness 20 make 8 per cent on >.
t4iuafion. a Ii out of lucia aud mus
look 90 aomc source other than IN
government for direct relief; the la'
sis.es not give q. II any road MAKE
lmorc thad per cent. II must spli
fhe excess EARNINGS with the govern
mont fof the crcntlun of o fund frnu
which weak roads may borrow y
cmcrgencies. n an the roads com
hined In = region earn per cent. IN
law will be sati-fied. even II some N
dividpnl roads make nothing az A..
m Inc earnings on the combined ran
road property Of the region are undo
fg per cent. Il becomes the duty .
the comm sion 20 rcadiust the rats
The santa Fe system lies IN IN
central and western regions, ana ~
lurnparty, therefore. IL valued In wv
regions for rate making purpose
some u the santa We neighbors mat
money prior to federal control an
lnbme Of than lost That situation
may continue 70 obtain under w
new law. WhIls earnings for no toal
iarc guaranteed. the machinery 0f ID
manner that railroad credit WI =
Improved. which will help the raii
road industry generally. and give IN
public assurance Of better service.
The government. after it 81
through with tho railroads and rc
turned them 10 their owners, guar
anteed earnings Tor hall year
allow time Tor Investigation Of rate
by the Interstate commerce commits
iaon. hut that period expired the Va.
VI August Tho railroads nov ocp
wholly on what they can earn on IN
rates fixed ~ dhe interstate CON
merce commission.
As reauired by the 1890 trar lpor
tafion act. the Interstate commerc
commission made the present rat
schedule TOT the pufpos. - cnahli1
railroads to meet the heavy incressc
in the prices Of the thines they ma
a. buy. including labor. Tho decistp
lcf the interstate commerCo comnl,
nion. you vii remember. Was BEL
up several weeks Inst summer Nhil
| the Ifuiied States labor hoard va