The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-11-18

official classification territory-the
proport ION la Ssiiieu as products Of
agricultur" is much smaller than it
is with Us. In the year 1874, fer
instance, but little more than 80
Of thu. tonnage Of the great Pennsyl-
Nania system consisted OF the pro-
ducts of agriculture. while nearly
G0'o consisted of the products OF
min"s--chicfly .bituninOus and an
,hrncit. coat Ofsthe tonnage Of the
Northern Pacific and Great North
crn in III" same year, on the other
hand. ahou, csc in each case CON
sisted Of tn" products OF agriculture.
Ra ilroads in this territory are
Known. as granger roads. Their de-
penden"e upon agriculture is more
ntimat. and direct. They cannot
prosper when The agricuiturist is
depressed
Recognizing this. it has been the
aim and the consistent policy OF the
Northern Pacific to assist tn" farm
"r in the solution Of his problems.
TO that end il has, when the occa-
sion demanded, as during the late
period al ShOrtag" In western North
Ia kota. cut in two its rates on hay
and feed: II has cut in two it's rates
on pure bred livestock: it has re-
duccd it's rates on dairy cattle: il
has at al! times in the field its ag-
ricultnral Development agents,
whose duty it is to keep in touch
with The farmers along It's lines and
who are euuinn.I a. :, r,sni, of
,h.ir training and exncri.nc. tn
give heipfnl Information and advice:
and when il seemed necessary. Il
little less than TWO years ago, be
cause of the financial stringency in
this state, 70 form "A credit corrora-
ZION whose fuuds shculd n. ,yoiio III.
to r.liev.. tn. horticultural Situation.
il was among, the first TO make its
suhscrip,i ion 10 the fund required.
| do not contend, nor is il ncccs.
sarv for m. to contend, ihat Cur
auop,ion OF this linz. of conduct has
been dictated hy altruistir motiyes
II has, repeat, been the result Of
our rccopnition OF the fact that the
railroad interest and the aericultur-
al interest are interdepend.nt. and
you may, if You choose. say that il
was prompted by n Longest .d
scl,ishness Eut however orr mo-
,iv.s may l.. described, tn. facts are
undeuiahlc: and on that record I feel
that j may with proprie,y make an
Ippeal TO the. northwestern farmer
to give som. consideration TO the
problems which confront u.,
EARNINGS Are small
Since III. Federal control of rail-
roads ended five wears AGO. III,
AN NtIl
earned a return equal to Ir; ,ipOu
the more than five hundred millions
OF dollars devoted 70 the s.rvic, Of
TRANSFORMATION. In 1920 we earned
l.44cc: in 1927. 1886: in 1879. a.41c,
i'm 1928. 1850: and in 1924. 3.:1,;
This condition is ,rue MOI alone. Of
the Northern Pacific, il is true in
general OF railroads in western ter
ritory. and particularly of the ro II.
roads of tn" northwest: and this has
prompted the application now pend
ing before The Interstate Comm.rre
Commission for the exceedingly
modest Increase of So in their
freight revenue. In supDort of that
appliration the western railroad DIS
showed that what | have 81 id of the
Northern Pacific specifiralIy was
true Of western carriers as vbnle.
that is to say, that in no wear since
1920 hav. they earned on their Drou-
.rty investment a ra.urn enu,l Ia
Sc, Sine, 1911 their t,x.s hay.
inrrea sed by oo5c,: rh.ir oncra,inr
ernans.s h,vc ;ncrensea hx as"s
they have invested in their nron.
ertv aniamoun, equal to one four, II
OF ,h. sum total invested in 1911:
and ,h.ir n.t railway oner,,;np In
come has increased only 3l.cc.
Several causes of course contri.
hute to this result. The depression
in Agriculture has of course been an
important cause. The loss Of traf-
fic to the buses and private auto.
mobiles and TO the trucks has con-
trihu,. d ia i, IN. loss IF ,r.fr;o
To the water carriers comnei;ur
with them through tn. Panama ca
nal has contributed TO il. Rut the
main cxplaua1ion of his FAC, maj
tn. rail carriers op.ra,inr in mis-
territory make q noor.r shovinn
than in other por,s OF tho rn,t.I
States. is that in adjusting their
rates to meet noSt war conditinps
those rates hay. NOT he.n ,dvanc.i
as i'm other parts Of thr Tni,.d
States. Obviously. TO meet the ~rcat
increases which hay, shown in
taxes and Oueratinr .xuensas som.
increase in rates has been ma yoi,i.
abl. In tho eastern lie, r;a, - ,ko
I.ni,ed St,tes am ;ncr.o.c ~ -.E
has been nllowed: 10, me southerp
district the increase has he.n aso..
in the western district as :, whnls !;
has been only oSc,. aud ON ma
Northern Pacific il has he.n oniv
$3.50;
Problems Iuter-n~,u,sd
draw your attention ,C ,h.so
facts moi in any cnmnIa ;n,,.. s,;,.i,
but as lin ST ra ting whnt hava -
tina, orr problems and d;ffic,l,ias
are related to each other. maj w..
must d.Den6 mon aarb othar. .ma
that as we have been wi,1in" 10 DC"
sist Won in coming win vo,1r nrah
Iems W.. NAV fa;riy aymac, Sn,,n.
sistance from vo,, in Ieo,ium u,;t,,
ours Wv"