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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1925)
Thousands Enjoyed Hospitality of King Ak in 1924; 1925 Prospects Bright Ak-Sar-Ben Year Successful. With Prospects Bright Samson Den Show, Races, Fall Festival Enjoyed by Thousands in 1924. In 1084 Ak-Sar-I ion was consptru nus in Its activities of good fellow ■ship and entertainment in an civil affairs of Omaha. The year was successful for Ak-Sar Hen from many standpoints; the mem liership reached 3,775, not as manj as in 1023, hut what was lacking lr numbers was made up in enthusiasm Fourteen presentations of the show ‘ Bullfornla," were given at Ak-Sar Ben den. A total of 7,470 witnesset these performances as members ant his majesty had the honor of enter tatning 0,441 visitors. The Jargesi attendance was on July 2G, when 1,37; visitors witnessed the special per •formanre put on for the international convention of Lions clubs. Fall Festival Success. The fall festival program was per haps the^ most successful that Ak Sar-Ben has ever held. Fully 250.000 witnessed the fall street pageant, and it was judged the most beautiful ever staged In the history of Ak-Sar-Ben. A conservative estimate was made 2® that 35,000 drove into Omaha October 1 by automobile. The coronation ball, the crowning feature of the festival, was witnessed by 2,230 men and 2,453 women. From a financial standpoint the year was satisfactory, as the receipts were vithin a few hundred dollars of the iishursements. Th6 Ak-Sar-Ben Exposition com pany, during 1024, held three success ful race meetings. The spring meet ing of 21 days was bV far the most successful running meet ever held in this part of the country. Nearly 600 horses competed for prizes aggregat ing $R5,000. The fall festival running meeting was well attended and satis factory. Army Field Meet. In addition to this, through the courtesy of the Seventh Corps area of the United States army, a track and field meet with army maneuvers . was held October 2. Fully 12,000 en joyed this program, no charge being made for admission. Perhaps the greatest polo tournament ever held west of the New England states was staged here. Ak-Sar-Ben, in conjunc lion with the United States army staged the first horse show at Ak-Sar lien field, which was well attended. The hoard of governors feel en rouraged at the prospects for 1925 and the members are determined to make it an outstanding year in the long history of the organization. Eugenics Law Has Dealt Heavy Blow to License Mart Only 886 Permits to Marry Issued in Douglas County in 1924; Iowa Gains. The Nebraska eugenics law dealt “Cupid” Herbert Stubbendorf a cruel blow. Once “Cupid” worked busily all day long and frequently was calle< from his home at night to issue mar riage licenses. Hut now—wedding bells may ring brides may blush; bridegrooms ma> mislay their rings, but most of it Is done in Iowa. '“That law has taken my battlnp average down from 3.041 to 886,’ mourned Stubbendorf, as be compiler his yearly records. The eugenics law went Into effect August 1, 1923. The table shows how marriages In Nebraska have been af fected: 19:1 192 January . 296 4 February . 111 6' March . 1*4 3! April . 177 6: May . 24 ; *1 June . 336 14' .1 uly . 266 August . *7 September . 66 October . 3 November . <2 l>tcember .. 61 *' 1.956 8*1 For Colds, Grip, Influ enza and as a Preventive <fi Laxative §Brom^ Quinine tablets Jr The First and Original Cold and Grip Tablet Proven Safe for more than a Quarter of a Century. The box bears this signature (o-JfcSfrevt* Price 30c. * How Omaha’s New Livestock Exchange Building Will Look ,-,-—-—i South Omaha will have one of'the most modern buildings of Its type In the country when the new Livestock Exchange building, now under con struction, Is completed. The cost of the building will be more than 5-1,000,000. As the accompanying picture shows, the building will be JI-shaped. each wing being 62 feet wide by 133 feet long, with a connecting link 60 by 76 feet. The exterior of the building will be along simple lines resembling the brick architecture of northern Italy. The main entrances will be trimmed tn stone. The brick used will he a dark red. with terra cotto trimming to match. V Tho main floor will be on a level with the new viaduct, which Is now^ being built. The main entrance wib’ open on a lobby 60 feet square, with a high ceiling. At each end of the lobby will be offices for telegraph and telephone, and elevators. The north wing o'f the main floor will be occupied by the Stockyards National bank and the south wing on this floor will be arranged for offices. On the ground floor, below the main floor, will be housed the rail road offices, occupying all of the north wing, and tho cafeteria, kitch en, bakery and postoffice In the south wing. The basement will have shower baths and lorker rooms for tenants and their i^iployes, as well as storage space. 'All of the floors from the second to the seventh, Inclusive, will be occu pied by offices for commission men. The Union Stockyards company will occupy the entire north wing of the eighth floor and the south wing will be given over to hotel rooms. In the no'rth wing of the ninth floor will be an auditorium with a seating capacity of 1,000, with stage and dressing rooms. In the south wing will be a large dining room, with kitchen. I’.oth the dining room and auditorium will he two stories in height, so that two additional floors for office can be added later, if necessary, by abandoning the din ing room and auditorium. Value of Year’s Omaha Products Is $388,018,541 Total Worth of City’s Manu factures Is $6,205,385 Higher Than in Previ ous Year. Th* value of manufactured products produced In Omaha in 1924 was $6,000,000 higher than the tottl for 1923, according to statistics compiled by the bureau of publicity of the Chamber of Commerce, Among the manaufacturers show ing the greatest gain are the packing houses, which Increased $10,446,952 and the butter and creamery houses, which increased $1,156,465. Following Is the total amount of products manufactured In Omaha during 1924: Alfalfa product, .I !.*«#,«»# Auto tins and tubes . 2 024.* 15 Autos, truck* and accessories. . 10,007.475 6a|i . Rank, more, office furnitute 1. Reverag*** . 770.679 Hoot* and shoes . 1.250,090 Boxes . 1,085,000 Bakery products . 3,002,*51 Brick and cement . .. 2.7'' ,61. Butter and creamery products 24 ’1 595 f’andy . 1,052,002 Cars and equipments. 3.102.270 Chemicals and drugs . 1 2 1 4 623 Cigars nnd tobacco . 112.000 Cleaning and dyeing ''IT.' '< Clothing and furnishing goods 1.53R.951 Coffee, tea and spices . 6,995.000 Cooperage . 486.000 Crackers . 6.900.000 Electric light and power .... 3,910,000 Electric goods ... 536,non Engraving nod electrotyping.. 1.311. ro Flour and mill products ...... l1.J8n.80H Foundry nnd metal products . 3.9 ;7.6*J-i Furnaces nnd sUbtdfea . i.«:'t,.*oo Furniture nnd bedding ...* 1.39',990 Furs and fur garments "»*•” j . 2.2:’ '• "00 Harness snd saddles .. 512.000 Hats, can* and gloves . 470.000 Tee making machinery ....... - * 5.515 Ire . 984 1 75 Ice cream . 1 Laundry output . 1,020,806 leather and shoe findings oT.'.noo Macaroni .. 1.540,000 Machinery and equipment .... 2.278.0*0 Mill work . 7*1 00 o Millinery . •j ■" """ Miscellaneous • • • ■ 2.737.370 Monuments nnd stone products 1 OU and grease . ] n ,:.i*0(l Dptlcal goods . 525,000 I’alnt and glass .. 2.* .5 5,000 Packing house products . 19«. .v:1 ‘ Printing and publishing . 9 42 7"». Shirts . *41.7*0 Signs .. • 829.380 Smelter product* . 43.70H,48.» Suit p .... 57**, non Stock food and serum .. 1 -47 >7J ! Structural steel . 2.082,634 Tents and awnings . ^ 312.130 i Women’s garments .. * 272 000 Water service.’.. 1,125.000 Total .1310.018.641 Total 1923 .>381.813.15ft Increase for 1924 . > ft 205.385 The factories employed 34.420 men and women In 1924 nnd had a eom Lined payroll of $54,583,958. One Thousand Rabbits Killed in Lodgepolc Hunt Dodgepole, Dee. 31.—Over 1.000 Jark rabbit* were killed In thl* vicinity Sunday amt an many more got away from the hunter*. The rabbit* have been hunt? up nnd frozen and will be shipped to Omaha for distribution These pest* have practically de stroyed a number of corn field* which were not picked before the Know cov ered the ground. Pianist Joins Chautauqua. Beatrice, Doc. 31. — Mins Franc* k Green, pianist, of this city, loft yes terday for Valley Falls, Kan., where she will Join Minn Jane (louder, a reader. The two will I ravel on the road for several months in tho Inter eat of the Kidpath Ilorncr lycoutn bureau. John M. Bono, 78. I lies, Beatrice, Doe. 31 John M Bone. 78, for 40 years n resident of No Lrnska, died at his home In West Beatrice after a brief Illness, He survived by his wife arid a numhn of children, all grown. Ho had boon a resident of Bis trice for 10 year Scully I,and Taxes $15,892. Beatrice, Dec. 31 -V. it Johnson agent for the Scully land* In flriRi county, Nehraikn, and Marshall noun ty, Kansas, paid Into the treasurer', office here the sum of $15,392.94 n, taxes for *h* Scully holding* for the year 1924. CORN IS HELD FOR PAWNEE FEEDERS Table Rock, Dec. 31.—Pawnee coun ty seldom raises sufficient .corn to meet the demands 4nf local feeders, hut this year the Farmers' union ele vator of Pawnee City, which already ha3 6,000 bushels in storage, expects to fill the building to Its capacity, 10,000 bushels. Tills corn will not he shipped out, but will tie held in stor age to supply the demand of Pawnee county feeders next summer. This plan also probably will save the feeders some money by reason of having no freight charges to pay. The Farmers’ union elevator is re ceiving corn dally, and those who sold last week were ren^nded of the war time days o' 1017 VSIS. who'll local buyers paid $1.10 a bushel the latter part of the week. Loan Association Distributes Big Dividend in City • i $1,800,000 to Be Shared by 90.000 Members in Semi Annual “Melon"’ Slicing. The semi-annual melon rutting feast of the aha rrh older* of the | building, paving.** and loan associa tions of Omaha is now on. Dividends j 'totaling $1,SCO,000 have been declared i out of the earnings for the last half [of 1924. and art- being disbursed ] among the 90,000 or more members! in cash or credits. This 1m the largest distribution made, by the 12 associations <>f the city fori any half year. Dividend disburse-! ! rr.ents for the year ugg^gate $.1,500,-1 000. Normal prosperity was the chief; characteristic of the ycay’s business in loans for home building and buy-j ing. During the first half of the year demand for home loans fell j short of the supply of funds. Sev eral asMorintinns restricted the inflow "f invi ; unent money and relieved the stress of idle rao*ney by reducing the loan rate to f> per cent. The j educ tion stimulated the demand for build-^ ing and buying during.the last six months sufficiently to absorb the surplus of Idle money. A year ago the resources of the 12 associations totaled $71,613,422. The new year finds them with resources aggregating $80,250,648, a gain of *S,637,226, in 12 months. Following are tho official figures; Aasocla tlona. n*B<>urr«* i Munha Loan A- Tlulldlntr $ in,.1 ?7y Conservative Savings A* [,«an : J.a27.ft ’s • 1T|fi»ntal Jlutldlnir A Loan . lfi.OlU'.son Nebraska Mirvlng* ft Loan . ,1010,F,f..* < ‘omm*rclnl f**vin«rs f- boas. 7'iMA^ barker* luvlnr* «v Loan-. 1 1 r»J **70 Prudential Savins* A L>>nn.... 1.118 17 Hint# Savinas A f.onn ... Onion Building A- Lean. r 4 A S ft Standard Having* A* Lonn . 100 *87 Metropolitan Bu'dd ng *A Loan . 008 m at us I In Ing* A Loss 14 Tot* 1 . t**» $10,641 Thrift Throughout State. Co-operative associations of the state continue to grow In resources and rendering practical benefits to the communities served Official re ports as of .Tune 30, 1924, show 82 associations with resources aggregat ing $123,000,000, fin Increase of $14, 000,000 In 12 months. Deserve fundi* lequlred by law and undivided earn ings total $4.1 HI.927, equal to 4 per cent, of the mortgage loans. The period of greatest growth of Nebraska association* I racist by the records embraces this post-war wars, UcMottrce* have doubled in that time, ! lining from * .7.000,000 in 1919, to $123,000,000 in 1924. During these *dx vents Nebraska associations made loans foj 14.947 new buildings, mostly homes, or about 4a per cent of the total busi ness of that period. Cojuid,—Mrs A L Davis. 25 > ears r» resident of this vicinity, is «U#id Her funeral was held Friday at the Methodist church. $ 330 Convicted by Countv Attorney: 298 Guilty Pleas 1921 Report Tops Record for . Four Years in Douglas County; 798 Com plaints. In 1924 the county attorney's office secured the greater* number of eon vi 'inns in district court that have ' l obtained within the last four years, according to the annual state inent of County Attorney Henry Beal Two hundred and ninety eight de fendants pleaded guilty in 1924: 4 i were convicted by Juries, and eight .were b un I guilty after trial by court1, making the total of convictions, 359. Tv. :>t dhla-c persons were acquitted . In 1923, 23T convictions and 44 nc,initials were recorded on the dockets: in 1922. 309 conviction* and 52 acquitnis, end in 1921, 303 convec tions find 29 acquittals. Tire number of ■ “-s handled by the county attorney's office in 1921 and 1922 was swelled by indictments under the blue sky laws and prose cution following tite courthouse riot About 100 blue sky law. cases are still pending. County Court Slumps. Fewer rases were hendled in coun ty court in 1924 by the county attor ney than in 1923. Out of 174 r conducted by the county attorney's office, 70 convic tions were obtained Twenty-four i*er sons were acquitted; charges against lfi dismissed In court anil 31 dis missed by tlie county attorney. Six teen persons were bound oyer to the district court and - nr case was trans ferred to juvenile court. Thirteen cases nre pending. *!)H ( oinplalnts. Seven hundred and ninety eight complaints, ranging from joyriding to first degree murder, were filed by the county attorney's office during the year. The year was s busy one for th» county coroner also. Records show that the number of cases handled by him annually 1ms been steadily in creasing for the last four years. Forty-four Inquests were held In 1924 into the deaths of persons by murder or accident. Two hundred and sixteen Invest rations were con ducted by county Investigatnrs. Additions to Gas. 7 Water System Total 83.1 Miles Many Major Improvements at Utilities Plants Are Completed in 1924. The water department of the Metro politan 1'lilitles district laid 26.3 miles of six-inch and 2.6 mileH of eight-inch service mains during 1624, which in creases the water system to 444 miles. The gas department laid 24.6 miles of pipe, ranging in size from four to 16 inches. There are now 361 miles «f mains in the gas system. In ad dition, the gas department laid 26.3 miles of service pipes between mains and property lines. This makes a total of S3 1 miles of pipe laid by water and gas depart ments during'the year. Gas services Installed numbered 2,032; total now being served. 43,800: water taps made, 2,830; total water services, 43,700. During the year the new filter plant at Florence was competed at a cost of $648,764; also 50,000,000-gallon higli service pump at cost of $166,387, and 50,000,000 gallon low service pump at cost of $101,079, / Other major Improvements during the year were reported as follows: Building for high eervlce pump. $73. 075; building changes for low service pump, $10,965, fireproof to'of over boiler bouse, $33,638: repairs to north Intake, including traveling screens and suction line, $63,513: 36-Inch pumping line from basin B to basin 4. $27,580; 42-inch line from filter plant to pump station. $16,315: 48 Inch main from Florence station to Twenty-elgh’h avenue and Tlant sireet. $223,881; 36 inch main In alley, between Poppleton avenue and Pierce street. Twentieth to Twenty fourth streets, $34,622. \pw Extension Planned. It Is proposed during 1625 to extend the new 48-Inch main frorfl Twenty eighth avenue and Plant street to Thirtieth and Hamilton streets, a dis tance of 21,000 feet, at an estimated cost of $714,000. This new main, when completed, will give the city additional protection In time rtf special need or emergency. During the coming year the south Intake at the Florence sta tlon will tie rebuilt at a cost of $35,000. The gas department Is now complet ing a 4.000,000-cubie foot gas holder on a 25 acre site adjoining the gas plant on South Twentieth street. This holder will he In service within a few weeks. The big container, together with accompanying gas plant additions and improvements. Involves an ex pendlture of $900,000. During the first nine months of 1624 the average dally water consumption was 26.846,000 gallons compared with 23.426.000 for 1623. Average daily gas consumption for first nine months or 1624 was 4.560 noo cubic feet: during 1623 average daily was 4.251,500. Beginning January 1 the gas <Je partment will begin a new schedule of rates, which will he a reduction of 5 cents for first thousand feet and 10 cents for each succeeding thousand feet. The present schedule, for in stance. carries a charge of $5.70 for 5.000 feet In a month: the new charge will he $5.25 for 5.000. During the last year General Man ager I,risen established a new system of washing the basins at Florence. The bnslns are washed Oftener than under the old system, leaving no chance for heavy accumulations of sedimentation. # GOVERNOR SMALL HELD TO ACCOUNT Springfield, 111., Dec. St.—Circuit Judge Iturtnn today signed the for mnl decree, holding Governor Small. Verne Curtis and the estate of Kd ward Curtis, former state senator, ac countable for all Interest collected on notes of Chicago packers to whom state funds were loaned during the governor's incumbency as state treas urer. The signing of the decree followed the court decision from the bench yes tonlay, with the exception that the decree provides that more evidence may he taken by the master in chan cery In determining the amount due the state. Motions praying an appeal to the supreme court were filed hv Attorney Werner S.hroeder, counsel for the governor: Verne Curtis and Mrs. Ktha Curtis, for the Kdward Curtis estate. The attorney general's office will oppose the motion of appeal. Olarencn N. Hoot'd, special assistant attorney general, announced. -pi— s Happy 1925 to You And Start it With a New Year Dinner Main Dining Room 12 to 3 and 6 to 9 $2 Randall's Royal Fontenelle Orchestra l\uning During Evening Dinner = In the* Indian Grill A * n* Vc<» Dinner $1.50 12 to 8;d0 /). m. HOTEL FONTENELLE ' ■■ . .“ 1924 Alimony Bill Here $1&3$8; Damages Asked Exceed 11 Millions, Total Granted l^as Only $303,220 Damages amounting to $11,582,706 03 were asked in rases filed in district court during 1024, but only $303,220.31 in damages were awarded by Juries, according to a statement issued by Robert Smith, clerk of the 'district court. The total amount of damages asked in cases where verdicts were returned in favor of the plaintiffs was $ 1,130, 87,7.72, while the amount returned in favor of plaintiffs aggregated $301, 973.31, about 30 per cent of the sums asked. Defendants in damage suits were awarded $1,243 during the year. The Htate of Nebraska won 41 of 62 eases tried by jury. Jurors favored the defendant In 19 instances and dls agreed in two. The plaintiffs warn 114 of 193 civil cases tried. Verdicts were returned in favor of 76 defendants, while three juries disagreed. • Burglary ami Larceny Head List. More burglary and largency charges were filed than any other cases dur ing 1924. Wife and child abandon ment and "desertion were the next highest ranking crimes Klght hundred twenty-eight crim inal charges were filed during the year, as follows: Burglary, larceny, etc., $150; wife end child abandonment, desertion, etc., 123; liquor cases, 97; forgery and embezzlement, 90; reckless driving, speeding, etc., 62; drunkenness and vagrancy, 44; automobile theft, 37; maintaining a disorderly house, 32; assault and battery, etc., 31; habeas corpus, 27; murder, manslaughter, etc., 18; aiding and abetting the de linquency of a minor, 15; criminal attacks on women, 14; miscel laneous, 8$. 3,3JO Petitions Filed. Petitions filed In district court dur ing 1924 totaled 3,340, distributed as follows: Appeal and error, 342: contracts, 416: change of name, 11; divorce, 1,160: cancel contracts, receiverships, accounting, special performance, equity and miscellaneous, ICS: fore closures, 376; injunctions. 74; license for mortgage and sale of real estate, 60; assault, libel, slander, malpractice and alienation, 61; mandamus, 7; liquor and personal injury, 310; tres pass, conversion, torts, fraud, prop erty Injury. 4'*: partition, 35: eject ment and quiet title. 104; replevin and quo warranto, 28; workmens compensation, 139. $103,268.11 Alimony. Judgments paid during 1924 total $648,401.13, while alimony paid dur ing the year amounts to $103,268.21. The dlvorcs rate for 1924 was just a step below the marriage rate, 853 divorces being granted and 886 li censes issued in the county. Judge I„. B. Day awarded 829 di vorce decrees in hie domestic rela tions court. Judge Charles Doss cut the knot In 17 Instances and Judge James Fitzgerald In 6. Judge Leslie signed one divorce decree. Three hundred four Insanity cases and 92 dipsomaniac cases were filed In district court during the past year. Two hundred fifty-two Juvenile cases were filed. Fortv ^ ears at Bench «• Followed by Operation Humboldt. Dec. 31.—John Klossner. pioneer harness maker was taken to the Falls City hospital Monday, where he underwent an operation for double rupture Mr. Klossner is 74 years of age and has been at his work bench every day. except Sun day, for more than 40 years, with few exceptions His son, John W Klossner, is associated with him at present. Omaha’s Schools Cost Taxpayers $4,500,000 a Year Enrollment Is 38,883, ith 7,962 in High Schools; 1,300 Teachers Are Employed. Omaha's pDihllc school bill amounts to nearly *4.500,000 a year. The esti mated budget for the current fiscal year, beginning August 1, 1924, was 14,443,735, The last school district levy was 11.5 mills, which, applied to a valua tion of *326,002.635. will yield *3,749, 033 In taxes for school purposes. The remainder of the school budget is ob tained from miscellaneous sources. Total enrollment during the last complete school year was 38,883, of which 7,962 was in high school. Total enrollment this school year to date is 36,873. There are 1,300 members of the teaching staff. The principal improvement during the year was the completion and open ing of the North High school on West Ames avenue. This school now has an enrollment of 774. Jefferson school, Thirty-eighth and Valley streets, wa's opened last September. The school census taken last Junel shows a total nP 50,231 persons of I school age: in 1923 the total was 43, 555 and in 1922 there were 46.483. At the November election the voters authorized the sale of a *2.500.000 is sue of school district bonds to provide for a building program. The commit-1 tee on teachers and course of study] went on record as in favor of giving preference to the needs of elementary schools New schools probably will be built in the Farnarn, SaratogaJ Walnut Hill. Sherman and Belviderej districts and additions made to other! elementary schools. On Monday night, January 5. Mrs.; A. H. Fetters. Leo Beveridge. Mrs. A. A. Holtman and Mrs. Hazel Punhar' will take their scats as members of I tile hoard of education. Omaha’s Bonded . Indebtedness'1’ Is $36,606,940 City ’W ill Retire $285,008 in Obligations, Meet $554, 317 Interest in 1925. The o: upending bonded indepte of th£*^Jty of Omaha, inHudir school dial: if# and water and g plants, is $JJ,6O6.940, divided a* fol lows: Munfrip.it general bond*. $11,9*3 i 4SS: munirf^i! special assessme" Imnds, $4,29!jj4:.2;’school bonds, *$ - 423,000: wat# bonds, *6,$92,000; g bond», $5,000Sd0. The city Ja.s a sinking fund of $71«.79S,74~fR’h which to meet hoi maturltiesgwui ing 1923 the city w retire $2$S5dJ in bonds and will ha ■ bond Io’JJJSS' obligations of $'■* * 317.6$. *•*» The watoc department of the Met ropoliti-JC I "tilltles district has sinking f unji* of $1,320,16$. which Increasing ,Jfeai I and w hich will i-v used tu jqdgt the bonds when due. The gas deps- tn.ent sinking fund $639,193. tiliich is also a fund to i Increased out of plant earnings for the payment of the paint. Wat' and gas oeww sprrifii ally r.irrv pi visions t aiur the* shall be retlr- I Jj from plantJBuniogr Tbe s hcaj»di.“tr,. t sinking fun*^„^^ M79A76. JZ RiiffalcritiiMqut't Flaunt'd. Beatple*,23’ec. 31.—Dudley S$oott, president 'Jvti.e I:. k Walton cl b of this city, >Jf?; I.-,He- a meeting of the member# fot— ie purpose of holding a buffalo baiwr1.' t hr i e early in Jan . ary. i CHIROPRACTIC OPE$S GATEWAY : TO HEALTH I t § Acute and chronic diseases re spond quickly to our methods. Nd cases taken that I can not j help. Office adjustments are 12 for $10 or 30 for $25. Office l hours. 0 to 12:30 p. m . 2 to fi p. m., 7 to 8 p. m. Lady attend ant. DR. FRANK F. BURHORN. the Chiropractor Suits 414-420 Securitie* Bide. * Phone JA ckmon 5347 a ^ *---4 (Tenth year of aucceaaful practice in Omaha) ■ - - — Illinois Central System Says That Railroads j Strive to Merit Public Confidence I Nearly five years have elapsed since the railroads began to operate under the terms of the Transportation Act of 1920. During all of this time the rail roads have been on trial. The Transportation Act has been on trial. The public has been waiting to determine whether the new system would work, whether the railroads under it would he able to improve their facilities and service and establish themselves for the future. For the first three years business conditions were unsettled, and the new SNstvm of regulation could not be said to have had a fair trial under normal conditions. In the two years that have just ended, conditions generally have been more nearly stable. Business has increased, prosperity has returned, and there has been an unprecedented demand for transportation service. These two ! , years—1923 and 1924—constitute a reasonably fair test of private railway op eration under the Transportation Act. What have the railroads accomplished in these two years? They have put their properties in better condition than ever before in their entire history. In the two years they have raised and spent more than 2 billion 136 million dollars for improvements anck extensions, in addition to large maintenance expendi tures. These recent expenditures of more than a billion dollars a year for im- « - provements and extensions compare with a pre-war average annual expendi- jf I ture of onlv about half that amount. w ? I With their improved facilities, the railroads have handled in the last two years the greatest volume of traffic ever known, and they have done so in s most satisfactory manner, with practically no shortage of facilities. By every test of operating efficiency, the railroads in these two years have improved im mensely the character of their service to the public. m j The railroads, however, cannot stop where they are. They must continue to keep.pace with the growth of business. Their capacity is a limitation upon i the country's prosperity, and they must grow if our greater population of the I future is to have its full measure of prosperity. This dependence of pros- 1 perity upon adequate transportation makes the question of future railway growth a matter of the greatest public concern today. f The railroads have proved their confidence in the continued fairness of the public by making extensive investments for better service. By the result of the November election the public has indicated that it has confidence in the rail roads. The railroads are going to strive to retain that confidence as their most valuable asset. They are planning now to spend 1 billion 100 million dollars for improved facilities in 1925, having an abiding faith that the public will j permit them to realize a fair return upon their increased property investment. In the improvements scheduled for 1925, the Illinois Central System, as usual, will be found in the front rank of progressive American railroads. Constructive criticism and suggestions are invited. ^ _ A C. H. MARKHAM, * President, Illinois Central System.