The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1923-08-18
COSTS OF GREAT
NORTHERN JUMP
Road Pays More, Public Less
Than Decade Ago, State
ment Shows

St. Paul, Aug. 13.-Transportation
of the superior grade required to
meet the needs and demands of the
travelling and shipping public costs
the Great Northern railway today
more than double what it did ten
years ago, while the increase in rev.
enue for the use of these greatly i'm
proved facilities has been far less, it
is emphasized in statement by
Chairman Louis w. Hill of the board
of directors. Official reports disclose
that the increase in the prices which
the Great Northern must pay now
for passenger and freight equipment
and the cost of operation is from 100
to $50 per cent greater than a de-
cade ago.
In discussing this handicap under
which the railroad is laboring, Chair
man Hill called attention to the pub
lie need for adequate transportation,
pointing out that all work involves
the moving of persons or objects and
that the factor of cost always is
dominant. Because of the necessity
for transportation, individual effort
would be futile without the railroad
and therefore it is important for the
public to know what it costs to pro-
vide this service, he said.
"The railway traveller today enjoys
the advantages of high class hotel,"'
said Chairman Hill. Grains are
fully equipped with dining, parlor
and sleeping car with superior ap-
pointments such as will meet the de-
mands of the travelling public. Nat
urally this is expensive, yet the cost
to the traveller is far less than the
charges of the hotel with correspond
ing facilities.
Every item in the provision of
both passenger and freight service
costs far more than it did a few
years ago. Passenger and freight
shipments speed over a mile of rail-
road track in minute or two. I'm
doubtedly few persons know that this
mile of track, exclusive of the grade
and right which cost $4,000
in 1913 now costs $4,000. Other
costs of railway service have in
creased as much more.
locomotives which cost $24,O0O in
1913 now cost $4,000. Sleeping car
costs have increased from $4,000 to
$4,000 each; dining cars from $14,-
O000 to $31,500; day coaches from
$4,000 to $20,250; refrigerator cars
from $1,000 to $2,700; ore cars from
$500 to $1,000; box cars from $500
to $1,000 and fiat cars from $3.50 to
$1,462.
"Taxes have increased more than
100 per cent during the same ten
years and are a big item of operat-
ing expense of every railroad. Yet
at the same time railroad freight and
passenger rates paid by the public for
this much more costly service have
increased only about 40 per cent.
ct is obvious that we must pay
for everything we have, for food,
shelter, clothing and transportation.
Production and distribution of these
and other essentials require trans
portation, which made possible the
development of our country. And
when transportation is impaired, the
whole country suffers. AS a matter
of self-interest alone, as we'll as
matter of justice, this is worthy of
deep thought. When there is talk of
railroad rates, it is to the public in
terest to give careful consideration to
the fact that this service is being
given, under cost conditions most
unfavorable to the carrier and grow
ing more difficult every year, at a
price to the public so little over that
of ten years ago."