The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-19
SHOP CRAFTS ANSWER


Editor State Journal
There have been paid advertise
ment5 appearing In many newspapers
over the signature of W. B. story,
president of the Atchison, Topeka x
Santa Fe railway system. in which ne
gives to the public reasons Tor the
high freight and passenger rates, ex-
plains why they cannot be reduced
and states that better transportation
service is needed, the road needing
more cars. locomotives ana other IA,
cihties for handling the business and
that the Santa Fe is doing everything
within it's power to provide the neces-
sites above mentioned. Those state
me nts. made by Mr.. StoreyssnaVe been
given wide publicity, and thru them
the public is getting but one side OF
the question. and, as conSequence'
might be led to believe that the rail
roads are oppressed ana are uhaoie
TO function properly and render the
service from the fact that they are
hanpered unnecessarily in the legil-
mate business of operating their trains
Issue on substantial grounds can be
taken TO Mr.. StOrey's state ments as
he onlits to state some very important
features which enter into the present
condition Of the Santa Fe and otner
roads which the public is entitled 10
know and which should not be with
held as the public pays the cost OF an
transportation. and. therefore shodl9
he advised of all of the facts and
should receive the best service op-
tainable at a minimum cost, neither
of watch they are getting at this Time
There is one statement. made re-
Gently by the president of the Santa
Fe system, in one of his adVertise-
ments with which we and the pubic
in general can fully agree. we ,refer
70 the statement in which he ADVISES
that what IS particularly needed is
befter service" no doubt the shipping
and travelling public wilI-Bot take Is
sue with him on that statement, puS
when the lack of service is credited
to need of more cars, locomotiy and
other facffities. we are not agreeable
10 accepting this apparent plausioie
reason as, literally, II ID InlsIeaolHss =
but in the ms in part true Inere Is
an apparent shortage Of cars ana loco
motives, as the suffering farmer, snip
per and business men well known Dut
what is the outstanding reason TOT thls
condition?
thousands of bad order cars are
standing on sidn-gs waiting TO De re-
barred while thousands OF others, IN
bad order. s-cs in service and should
he taken ous of service and repaired
and there can be no denial of this ract
as many shippers can TESTIFY 10 ths
fact that, after waiting Tor cars that
had been orde "a weeks previously the
shippers were compelled, upon tln24y
getting the cars, to buy material, at
their own pense, and repair the cars
before loading them.
repair points, there are more bad
order engines standing on the hospItdA
tracks than there has ever been pc
fore at any one time and many otners
are in service that are defective ana
in need of a thorO overhauing- Inc
best evidence. with which to bear ouI
this statement, and anyone interested
can prove it for himself by investiga-
ton is the fact that, In the last IeW
months, hundreds, yes thousanos' OI
passenger trains on the santa ar
from a few minutes to hours late anu
in numerous instances trains have been
annulled. Freight trains are from
hours to days late and about all
train crew needs at this time Is
calendar Crews on freight trains are
often tied up under the federal Hours
OF Service" law, commonly known a.
the sixteen Hour" law, when tney
have made less than seyenty-five miles
of the distance to destination and 1t is
a we'll known fact that stock ship
10 market. a distance of less than 4UO
miles, has ben unloaded twice TINS
due to the operation of the Thirty
ak hour" law, which law makes
it5an Offense to retain stock in a car
longer than thirty-six hours wlthou1
unloading for feed, water and rest.
THIS indicates that the stock was on
the road more than four full days.
Engines are in operation tha1 are
in such, condition that they are able
to pull only rs per cent of the tom
mage which they are designed 10
handle. One does not need to be
mathematician to figure out the fact
that if the bad-order cars were re-
paired and the motive power. which,
now stands on hospital tracks, ana
that held in service and sadly in need
of repairs, were in proper condition
that the service now rendered would
be immeasurabiy increased and i'm
proved and the acute congestion in
transportation. which now exlsts'
would be relieved
There has been much larger grain
crops raised in the grain belts and
the fruit and other land products are
not harvested in an abnormal quantity
this year, yet. using the statement OF
J. H. Barnes. who was at the head or
the Government Grain corporation
during the war and is one of the larg-
est grain exporters in this country, the
farmers of the northwest suffered
losses to the extent of S425,OOO.OOO
for the year of 1922 These figures 90
not take into account the untold mil
lions of loss suffered by producers ana
shippers thruout the rest OF the coun-
try. This is a real tragedy ana one
in which the mana cement OF the rail-
roads should have great concern, IN
fact they should show some real IN
terest and make an honest effort TO
prevent its repetition.
Mis-education may serve its pur-
pose and does in some instances but
it does not justify nor alleviate exist
ing evils We, as people, are prone
to accept as facts voluble statements
that viii not stand close investigation
and the light of truth
We desire to direct attention to the
recent financial report. issued by the
santa Fe, which states that DIVIDENDS
paid on stock for the past year were
around 16 per cent Now. using tne
statements or the officials of the
Santa Fe, or at least accredited TO
them and not denied. they should
make a better showing this year than
was made last year as they are doing
more business. more loadings and are
operating efficiently with their pres
ent force of shop employees but here
is where there is an apparent dis
crepency in some of the statements
appearing IN their paid advertise
u1ents and statements With the re-
duction of wages. secured by the
roads, and which. by the way. was