The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1933-06-01

advanced that carriers on the high
ways are paying their costs of OPP
GRAFTON and legislative enactment
has tended to increase these costs,
but they are still not sufficient to
place them upon a basis of equal
ity with the railroads which pay all
the expense of building and main
tanning their roadways, and, in adj
dition thereto, pay a heavy prop
erty tax on the assessed value there
of. This is the key to the great
injustice done the rail carriers by
the policy of subsidizing competi-
tive transportation. The railroads
never have asked for more than
you, as business men, would justly
claim. Every individual or corpor-
alton engaged in the same industry
expects the same treatment under
the law as is accorded its competit-
ors. I do not know of any just
reason why different policy should
be followed with respect to trans
portation than is followed with re-
spect to the mercantile or manu-
featuring industry.
Rehabilitation of the railroads is
essential to their return to pros
perity. To accomplish this, laws
must be enacted which will place
the railroads on an equality with
their competitors. The common de-
nominator must apply. Every form
of commercial transport should be
required, if it is to justify its ex-
istence, to operate under the same
rules and regulations as are i'm
posed upon its competitors.
LET me say, inconcluding, that
because the railroads can handle
such large volume of tonnage it
is the cheapest form of transoprta-
ton in the world, but growth of
traffic and concentration of tonnage
on the railroads holds, for you as
shippers, the means of obtaining
reduced rates. The railroads are
equipped today to haul much more
tonnage with little added cost. Rail-
roads have been working out eco
Monies and will continue to do so,
but a startling fact is that a mod
ern freight train with five men can
move 10000 tons of freight 25
miles an hour or 1000 tons to a
man. Commercial transport he
hicles on the highways with one
man cannot move per cent of
that tonnage. Likewise, steam
ships can move only a fraction of
such tonnage for each man, and
much more slowly.
cit cannot be denied that because
of the capacity of the railroads to
move such great tonnage per man,
they will continue to carry the bulk
of the country's commerce for many
years. Regulation and manage
ment must enable them to raise
capital for improvements in order
that they may operate with the
greatest practical economy and
make lower rates. The railroads
in 1929 had almost 100000 en-
ployes and paid them $2,941 900, 900
in wages. In 1882 they had only
1,O49,O 900 employees and paid them
only $1,536 100000 in wages. The
railroads purchases from other in
dustries in 1892 were about 81 ,600,-
600 900 less than they averaged an
nually in the five years ending in
1929. It is in the interest of every
business man and every taxpayer
to understand the principles involv-
ed in the transportation situation
in the United States today. The
railroads ability to give normal
employment and reasonable wages
and to make purchases is of vital
concern to each person in this aud
fence today.
"The final thought, concentration