WHY THE COST OF OPERATING
RAILROADS HAS BEEN INCREASED
Struggling Against Increased Cost of
Labor, Supplies, etc., on One Hand
Reduced Rates on the Other.
12 pr cent; other shopmen from
$1.93 to $2.20, or 14 per rent; suc
tion foremen from $1.51 to $1.83, or
21 per cent; trackmen from $1.15 to
$1.62, or 32 per cent; telegraph op
erators and dispatchers from $3.25
to $2.65, v rl7 per cent. ThiK means
a general average Increase In wages
of 32 29-100 per cent and all oilier
classes of railroad operatives end
employees in a more or less similar
degree. While these advances have
proven a great boon to the nearly
two million men employed In the
railway service and Increased their
capacity to buy from merchant and
farmer, they have exacted many mil
linos annually from the railroads
ttinmatlrA nil kUk - A - Ik.
. lurinanirn nil i r i iiii-ii iiimiih I 11
latent In the public press and the takes over the railroads, It means' pnera, publc rlch but the road8
mat inn nennm win nave in rnreirn
During the last few years the ad-1 who rise and fall in the field of poll
vocates of governn ent ownership of tics. Furthermore, should the time
railroads have been somewhat per- ever come when the government
matter ia referred to here, not with
any Idea of combatting this propa
ganda, but merely that the people
may briefly see both sides of the pic
ture. So long as a lot of men wel
come the wrecking of the railroads
on the theory that the government
will take them over and that such a
state of affairs would be preferable
to private ownership, It will be 1m
possible to obtain from them a fair
judgment of the latter system which
now prevails in the United States. It
Is Impossible to go into this great
quention at uny length at this time,
but here are a f 'w things worth
thinking about. Much has been said
in recent years about the "water"
contained In American railroad se
curities, and, in this connection the
valuation of the government owned
railroads of Europe Is very Interest
ing. In Germany the state owned
roads are valued at $114,185 P'-r
mile, In Aimtrta at $120,692, in Hun
gary at $69,210, In Italy at $126,886,
In Belgium at $190,914, In Switzer
land at $102,950, in Houmanla at
$90,113, In Japan at $88,104. in New
South Wales at $71.391 while the
privately owned lines of the United
States, regardless of what water may
have been forced into them In spe
cific Instances, are valued at only
$63,944 per mile. Whatever Infla
tion may therefore have been put In
to their properties In the past, the
fact remains, that their present valu
ation I smuch lower than that of the
government owned rullroads of Eur
ope, and, what Is still more Import
ant, the rates charged are the lowest
and the service rendered admittedly
the best in the world. It is also
pertinent to remember that the
charge of watered stocks, after all,
can be made against but very few
American railroads the lion's share
of them having been 'uanaged with
out a breath of scandal or criticism.
In this connection, a statement
contained in the last annual report
of the Deutsche Bank of Berlin,
which has a paid-up capital and re
serve fund of $75,000,000, la inter
esting: "American railroads need
higher rates. The present rates are
the lowest in the world represent
ing but a fraction of the English rail
way ruteB, for taut a nee and this In
the face of the fact t!;at wages In
the United States on the average are
fully twice as high n.i in Europe."
Certainly this view of the privately
owned lines of the United States,
coming from Germany, which has
the most successful statu owned .sys
tem of transportation In the world,
is worthy of grave consideration.
In further confirmation of this
statement we quote the following
statistics: It costs 7 mills per mile
on an average to haul a ton of
freight In the United States while In
England it costs an average of 2.33
cents, in France 1.41 cents and In
Germany 1.42 cents. The average
daily wage paid to American railroad
employees Is $2.23, in England It is
$1.35, in France 88 cents and in Ger
many 81 cents. Are American rail
roads therefore entitled to the
wholesale abuse and denunciation
which has been heaped upon them
from all sides in recent years?
LKTTISO WF.I.L ENOUGH ALONE
In view of these facts, the average
citizen may well ask himslf wheth
er It is not best to let well enough
alone rather than Invite other ills we
know not of whether it is not wis
er to cure such defects as may en
cumber the present system rather
than run the danger of plunging this
mighty Industry Into the whilrpool
of party politics for all time, with Its
attendant ODDortunlty for evil, of
which the past affords such rich va
rlety of experience. The United
States Is still a young country, and
In many sections only partially de
veloped. Many new lines and exten
slons are needed here and there to
give a wider opportunity to expand
ing agriculture and commerce, and
nothing could be more unfortunate
or disastrous than that these favors
could henceforth be obtained only
by leave of the dominant political
factions which will reign at the nat
ional capital in the years to come.
Political parties are intensely human
Institutions, and the 'average- cau
tlous cltiien will prefer to leave the
Railroad expansion of the future to
th economic law of supply and de
mand of the different communities
rather than to place such a tempta
tion for power In the bands of those
the millions of taxes wlhch they now
pay and which help to support the
public schools, public highways and
other public expenses and that
henceforth these millions of revenue
would have to come out of the pock
ets of the people.
Many other things could be said
upon this phase of the question, but
space forbids. For some time, the
government, through the Interstate
Commerce Commission, has been en
gaged In making a physical valua
tion of all our railroads as a matter
of guidance for future rate adjust
ments. Again, we repeat, since the
people absolutely control and regu
late the railroads, Is that not
enough? Will It not be better to
let well enough alone to cling to
that which Is good and eliminate that
which is bad in the present system,
which, with all that has been said
against it, furnishes the best and
cheapest transportation service In
the world?
IXCUKAKI'I COST OF OPERATION
We now wish to refer briefly to
another phase of the problem. For a
number of years the cry of the "high
cost of living" has been everywhere
abroad In the land. Time was, not
many years ago, when the farmer
sold his corn at 25 cents per bushel.
Now It brings from 50 cents to 75
cents. So. too, he sold hogs at 3
cents per pound, which now readily
bring from 7 cents to 10 cents
while a good steer calf, which used
to bring from $10 to $12, now Bells
for from $20 to $25. Nobody who
knows anything about present land
values or the farmer's cost of pro
duction will contend that he Is not
entitled to these increased prices. As
a matter of fact, unless he is an ex
ceedingly good manager and utilizes
the best of modern agricultural
thought he is by no means getting
rich at present prices high as they
may seem to people In the cities who
do not understand the coat attached
to preRent-day farming. To go back
to the old prices he used to receive
would bankrupt, In a little white, ev
ery farmer In the country and the
tendency of the future will be for
the prices of farm products to go
still higher than lower. Agriculture
is the nation's greatest fundamental
industry and society must make the
farm game sufficiently profitable to
Justify the man who Is on the farm
today and the farmer boys of the fu
ture to stay by the plow. Much has
been said recently about the fact
that the farmer does not receive
enough for what he produces that
there is too big a waste in the chan
nels through which his products pass
before they reach the consumer, and
that he has some cause for complaint
In this respect is undoubtedly true.
However, the railroads can face such
an inquiry with a clear conscience
for an exhaustive investigation con
ducted b ythe Lehigh Valley Rail
road some time ago shows that the
farmer gets 50 V4 cents out of the av
erage dollar's worth of products he
sells; the packers, local shippers, dis
tributers and retailers get 44 M
cents between them; while the rail
roads receive only 6 cents, or one-
twentieth of the dollar, for the trans
portation services they render.
So, too, there has been a steady
advance In practically the entire
realm of merchandise and manufac
tured products, whatever their na
ture, and the ever Increasing toll In
the cost of labor, steel products, lum
ber, cars, locomotives, and other
supplies has levied a tribute of un
told millions upon the railroads,
which have not only been forbidden
to increase their rates, but, on the
contrary, in many Instancets, com
pelled to lower them.
111(1 INCREASED COST OF LABOR
To give the reader an exact Idea of
how the cost of labor has advanced
in tne operation or railroads we
quote the following increases in the
dally wage from 1900 to 1914 a
period of only fourteenyears: In the
case of engineers It Increased from
$3.68 per day to $5.76, or an in
crease of 56 per cent; firemen from
$2.21 to $3.62, or 64 per cent; con
ductors from $3.31 to $4.83, or 45
per cent; station agents from $1.98
to $2.16, or 9 per cent; other station
men from $1.62 t oil. 90, o rl7 per
cent; ordinary trainmen from $1.97
to $3.36, or 70 per cent; machinists
from $2.72 to $3.52, or 29 per cent;
carpenters from $2.31 to $2.(9, or
j poorer. In 1900 the railroads paid
$1.44 per ton for coal. Now they
pay $1.81. Then they paid 38c for
ties. Now they pay 52c.
OTHER INCREASED COSTS '
But there are many other Items
which have enormousl ylncreased
the cost of railroad operation which
we cannot go Into because of a lack
of space. The public Is constantly
demanding a more efficient and a
safer service, and hence the rail
roads have had to spend vast sums
in Installing block signals, steel pas
senger cars, doing away with grade
crossings, straightening lines, heav
ier locomotives, better roadbeds, and
supplying many other precautions
protecting both their operatives and
the public all things very necessary
yet very costly. So, too, numerous
states have passed "Full Crew" laws
which, without benefitting the pub
lic, have compelled the railroads to
pay a toll of millions to useless em
ployees. Now, while labor, farm products,
merchandise and manufactures and
supplies of all kinds have steadily
Increased in price, the railroads, as
Btated before, have been compelled
to reduce their rates in the face of
this avalanche of ever-advancing
cost of operation and that all but
the most powerful lines find them
selves In an exceedingly critical con
dition is not to be wondered at. The
farmer, the merchant, the manufac
turer and the laborer justly insist
that they would not be able to get
along on the prices they received ten
or fifteen years ago. How, then,
can the railroads, which are the larg
est, employers of labor an dbuyers of
material In the United States, be ex
pected to exist on less than they re
ceived ten or fifteen years ago? In
view of these facts, it is no wonder
that President Wilson and other pa
triotic and careful students of the
situation are speaking words of
kindly admonition to the American
public, to the end that the railroads,
through whose giant arteries flows
the very life blood of the nation, may
not be wrecked and destroyed.
THE PCRLIC AND THE MANAGER
On the one hand, for the last
twenty-five years the public has de
manded the best and highest efficien
cy in service and lower rates in one
and the same breath. On the other
hand stand the thousands of men
and women who have invested their
money in railroad securities and
who, in common with the farmer, the
manufacturer an dthe merchant, be
lieve they are entitled to a fair prof
it. Then come the hundreds of
thousands of employees who are con
tinually clamoring for ah increase in
wages, as well as the cost of all man
ner of railroad supplies which is
constantly advancing and between
them, as arbitrators, stand the man
agers of the roads the big "hired
men," struggling with might and
main to reconcile all these conflict
ing interests In the face of reduced
rates upon every hand. That they
have at last reached a point where
they can continue the unequal strug
gle no longer should not be a matter
of wonder and In face of harsh and
unfriendly criticism which has de
scended upon their heads from ev
ery quarter they find themselves in
the mental attitude of the fiddler in
the Western mining camp when he
yelled out, "Please don't shoot, boys;
I am doing the best t can." (Paid
adv. To be rontlnued next week.)
STOP THAT COl (ill NOW
When you catch Cold, or begin to
Cough, the first thing to do is to take
Dr. Bell's Pine Tar-Honey. It pene
trates the linings of the Throat and
Lungs and fights the Germs of the
Disease, giving quick relief and nat
ural healing. "Our whole family de
pend on Pine-Tar-IIoney for Coughs
and Colds," writes Mr. E. Williams,
Hamilton, Ohio. It always helps.
25c at your Druggist.
Adv No 34799
Visited Friend. Here
E. L. Coleman, of the iaw deaprt
ment of the Burlington, who former
ly lived in Alliance and is now at
Billings, Montana, spent part of last
week In Alliance visiting friends,
while on his New Years' vacation.
Mr. Coleman was much gratified at
the rapid advancement of Alliance.
He left here In August, 1913.
Visited New Year's Day
Alsten L. Jacobs and wife of Ells
worth spent Ne wYear's with Tom
King and family at the King ranch,
northwest of Angora. They report
an enjoyable visit.
"Clean Up the Bowels and
Keep Them Clean"
There are many remedies to be
had for constipation, but the diffi
culty is to procure one that acts
without violence. A remedy that
does not perforin
b y force what
should be accom
plished by persua
sion is Dr. Miles'
Laxative Tablets.
After using them,
Mr. N. A. Waddell,
3 l 5 Washington
St., Waco, Tex.,
says:
"Almost all my
life I have hn
troubled with constipation, and hava
tried many remedies, all of which
seemed to cause pnin without giving
much relief. I finally tried Dr. Miles
IaxuMv Tablets and found them ex
cellent. Th-lr action is plOHsant ana
mild, and their chocolate tuste makes
them easy to tnke. I am mors thaa
tlud to recommend them."
"Clean up the bowels and keep
them clean," is the advice of all
physicians, because they realize the
danger resulting from habitual con
stipation. Do not delay too long,
but begin proper curative measures.
Dr. Miles' Laxative Tablets area
new remedy for this old complaint,
and a great improvement over the
cathartics you have been using in
the past. They taste like candy
and work like a charm. A trial
will convince you.
k Dr. Miles' Laxative Tablets are
sold by all druggists, at 25 cents
a box containing 25 doses. If not
found satisfactory after trial, re
turn the box to your druggist and
he will return your money. n
MILES MEDICAL CO., Elkhart, In.
Remington
Typewriters And
Supplies
Machines for rent. Rebuilt
typewriters. I would like to
place one In your home or
your office for three weeks
on trial.
JORDAN ROBINSON
PHONE 451
Just A Word
To Earn More You Must
Learn More
Let me tell you how. Mark
Central Savings Hank Bldg.,
.... 8alenianbhip
.... Teacher
....Mechanical Engineer
. . . .Machine Designer
. . . .Toolmaking
. . . .Electrical Engineer
.... Livestock and Dairying
. . . .Advertising Mau
, . . .Gas Engineer
.... Mechanical Draftsman
the coupon today and mall It to 310
Deliver, Colorado.
. . . .Boiler Designer
.... Foundry Work
.... Electric Railways
.... Poultry Farming
.... Stenographer '
. . . .Automobile Running
.... Pattemniakiug
.... Hlacksmithlng
. . . .Telephone Expert
... .Civil Engineer
Name
House Address . .
Business Address
Occupation Age
. . Employed by
. . . . City State . .
rCALIFORMARW
f EBasma f n f
I iNi utoourJixAnGn.rj I I II I
a VV. aa mmw
Dining Room Furniture
of Lasting Worth
MATURALLY you don't buy a
dining room table every year
. of your life. Perhaps you buy one
at the start of your married life and
then maybe another ten years after
ward. So you see it pays to buy
carefully in the first place.
Our dining room sets are worth
your notice. We respectfully call
your attention to the fact that all our
furniture is worth your notice. 0
If you are contemplating buying anything in the line of
furniture be sure to pay 119 a visit.
Yon will got good, honest furniture, the kind that U up
to date and is well made. It will make your home brighter
and happier. Our prices are very attractive, just es attractive
as our furniture.
Miller Bros. "Tnl s"orlsh
11
Many People
take their meals regularly at this cafe for they like
our service and cooking. We serve only the best
and we give our personal attention to the cooking.
When you eat here you know that everything is
clean and neat and that the food served to you is
fresh.
If you are not one of our regular customers we
invite you to call and become acquainted. Take one
meal here. We know that you will come again.
The Alliance Cafe
JESSE M. MILLER, Prop.
Our Customers
like the flavor of our products. They often say that
nothing tastes as good as Nohe's bread or Nohe's
bakery products. We sell fresh bread, pies, cakes,
etc., at reasonable prices.
You are invited to inspect our bakery and kit
chen at any time. They are kept absolutely clean
at all times. We will be glad to show you the in
gredients of our products we use no alum in our
bread.
When you are hungry eat at our Cafe. The
meals are "like mother used to cook".
N
O H E '
BAKERY AND CAPE
PHILIP NOHE, Prop,
WE TAN FOR YOU
We tan and manufacture your own hides Into the.
beat COATS. KoHEd or other Cur varment that you
ever taw and save you big money. All our work la
fully guaranteed. Get our catalog- containing; full in
formation aa to prices, etc. It will tell you how to
keep your whole family warm at a very email coat
with tha hide and fura of your own raising.
KHKU HA I It Or MITTS
With every coat or robe made from hides shipped
to ua, we will give a free pair of mitts made from the
trimmings of the hides. These mitts are warm wear
well Just what you need and they cost you nothing
WK Bl'V HIDES AND KIHS
11.000 Satisfied shippers testify to our "SQUARE"
Policy Premium Cash Prices. Write for Fur Price
list. Trappers Supply catalog- and taga. If you have
hides to sell get our prices.
OMAHA H1DK A Fill COMPANY, OMAHA, NKB.
731 South 13th Ktrwt
D
