Evening star., 1925-09-01
THE VOICE OF BUSINESS
BY WILLIAM p. HELM, JR.

transportation service which they are
rendering.
You ask further. How should this
need be metz ] reply, as did fs-
nous American. The way to resume
| is to resume The railway structure
of the country should not be disturbed
| by such legislative action as that con
tanned in the Hoch-Smith resolution.
/ The revenues to the carriers, particu-
| larly in the Northwestern region.
should be made adequate
'The tax burden on the railroads is
exceedingly heavy, and is growing
heavier year by year. In every year
since 1917 the carriers have paid out
more in taxes than they have in dfyi-
dends out of income. Taxes are now
practically $1,000. 600 a day. They
should be reduced"
Railroads Large Buyers.
Mr.. Ashton points out that in many
| cases the steam railroads are the lar--
est single group of purchasers of prod
| ucts of American industry" Their pur-
chases for new equipment and other
capital improvements amounted i'm
1923 to S1,73S, ,7o3 900 and in 1924 to
81 ,343 ,055. 900 Which leads him TO the
following thought:
Railroads of this country are to-
day, and have been for the past two
y
| 100 per cent service. Such results will
| be continued and will have further ef-
feet upon business prosperity if the
carriers are permitted 10 receive ade-
| quate revenues to maintain the stand
ard of service they have set"
| : With this statement President l.. W.
Baldwin of the Missouri Pacific Rail
road is in complete accord. adding
THAT the chief need could be sum-
married in the one word, Stability"
And this leads President Loomis of the
| Lehigh Valley Railroad to remark:
1 The chief public need to increase
prosperity, in my Judgment, is less
political interference with~business af-
fairs. | think we can all agree that
there has been a wholesome improve
ment in the situation since Congress-
adjourned. AS long as it was in ses-
sion, and this condition has prevailed
| for several recent Congresses there
was a general air of unsettlement and
instability.
II believe that the tendency of Con-
gress to interfere with the legitimate
faffairs Of business-honestly and fair
tIy conducted-can best be curbed
lof business men in the affairs of gov
lernment.
THE rank and file OF our national
illaw.making body is desirous of work
ing, | believe, for the best interests OF
jail the people and for national pros
perity. Too long, however. they have
been left to the mercy of theorists
with little or no knowledge of actual
business affairs or groups with a spe-
! cial interest TO serve"
4 Repeal Burdensome Laws.
! From S. NJ. FELTON,, president Of the
Chicago Great Western Railroad.
tcomes this reply:
What is needed to increase bust
i ness prosperity, in my opinion. is
fewer laws andeless regulation. This
4 should be met by inducing Congress
to repeal the obnoxious and burden
/ some laws which have been passed in
Irecent years
'Confidence of all sources of busi-
lness in one another and confidence of
each one in all" is the chief need of
| today. in the opinion Of President Ber-
/ net of the Nickel Plate. while Presi-
ldent Kurn Of the St. Louis San Fran
cisco Railway would increase the un-
derstanding of the other fellows prob
lem to which he adds:
| Give consideration to what might
be accomplished through proper CO.
operation. Curtail expenditures lead
ling TO useless and extreme eXtraVa-
Igance. Follow the advertising slogan
iof the bankers-don't take such an ex-
ltreme pride in what you make, but ex-
ercise the greatest thought in the di-
rection of how much you can save.
Create among all people desire to ac-
quire, the base thereof being individual
activity. Then, ! think, you will have
esta blished firmly the foundation for
an increase in general business pros
perity."
tcooyright. 1922