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Show for better brains In management and greater efficiency on th part of the employes. The public ought to be willing to pay for them. IncreRsed rates for transportation will assure the regularity of our employment em-ployment and the stability of our earnings, and in all fairness this Is due us as well as tile roads. We urge all who have to do with the rate question ques-tion whether the Interstate commerce com-merce commission, state railway or public service commissions, national and stae legislators to deal fairly with this vital question. We believe In reasonable regulation and efficient laws, plate and national, for that purpose. pur-pose. We believe that Just and reasonable reas-onable regulation requires frank ree-, ocnltlou of existing conditions, and that the railroads must have reasonable reason-able Increases In their rates in order to resiHjnd efficiently to the demands made upoM them by the p ihlic. The fund from which our wages are paid cannot be constantly depleted without with-out hurting ns. We know, too, that transportation rates have had nothing noth-ing to do with Hie Increased cost of living. As employes of the Oregon Short Line Railroad company, we affix our denatures here below as in harmony with the above declaration and authorize au-thorize their presentation to the in-; terstate commerce commission, stat-j railroad commissions or to any olllclal. federal or ftate, who has anything to do with railroad rate making or railroad rail-road regulation. Statement of Earnings. . Gross and net earnings of the fol lowing railroads for the fiscal years ending June 30, under the sworn Ktat"-ments Ktat"-ments to the. Interstate commerce commission : I'nion Pacific system: Gross. Net. 1010 $?,rfr,,ir; i $ 1.1.373 7.2 j lt3 77.3C.U23 40,857.302 J Increa-so ...$11,140,041 S 2,fiir,.430 Southern Pacific (Pacific System! lSin -9"..1S'..ii04 $42.5no.471 J 100!) Sl.4u2.177 .15,522.223 j Increase . . . $13.5r,3.l3C $ 7.0'iS.24'J Denver & Rio Grande System lf.10 $23..rJi:5,43G $ 7,O3S.2l0 1909 2".S7t,571 fi.423.997 Increase 2,iJSf!.KG5 $ 1,337. 4S". Under the above statement of earnings earn-ings It Is difficult to pee wherein any rate advances are necessary, but It would very clearly appear that a "revision "re-vision of rates downward" would be far more appropriate. COMMERCIAL CLCB TRAFFIC BUREAU. BU-REAU. Salt Lake City. Utah, Aug. 2C, 1910. INCREASE IN FREIGHT RATES " A statement was issued Friday by the Salt Ixike Commercial club traffic traf-fic bureau containing a petition which Is reported as having been sent out by A. F. Brewer, superintendent of the Utah division of the Oregon Short Line, ami intended to he signed by the shopmen, engineers and firemen in favor of an Increase in freight rates. The argument set forth In the petition Is to the effect that it requires more to operate and maintain railroads rail-roads today than it did years ago, and the public wljh3 better fervlco now than It did a time back and should, therefore, be willing to pay for 1L Accompanying the petition Is a statement of the gToss and net earn-incs earn-incs of the Union Pacific, the Southern South-ern Pacific and the Denver & Rio Grande railroads for the years 1009 and 1910 and the increase as sworn to to the Interstate commerce com-mission. com-mission. Using this to base an argument argu-ment on, the traffic bureau contends that the rates should he reduced Instead In-stead of Increased. The statement In full follows: Brewer's Letter. Oregon Short Une Railroad Company, Sail lake City. Aug S. 1910. Petition for Increase in freight rates. Messrs. J. 11. Rare. O. Aim and N. C. Price. Gentlemen I attach hereto sheets of blank pelitions to enable you to secure the signature of shop nen, also al-so engineers and firemen, who are willing to subscribe their names in support of securing an Increase lu the freight rates, which, under present conditions, we consider Justifiable. It Is requested that all employes except common laborers sign this petition, pe-tition, it being fully understood, however, how-ever, that there is no compulsion in the matter; it is to be purely voluntary volun-tary If any of the men have objections objec-tions to signing It will be desirable to secure their reasons therefor, merely mere-ly as a matter f Information. As this information is required between now and August 2.", wish you would act promptly in the matter, endeavor to obtain twenty-live signatures on each petition so that no additional sheets will bo required, and 1 also wish you would keep the sheets as clean as possible. Extra sheets will be furnished on application. Yours truly, (Signed) A. P. BREWER, Superintendent. The Petition. As cltlzeDS of this country, we believe be-lieve in fair profits and good waees. As railroad employes, wo know that our prosperity l inseparably associated associ-ated with the prosperity of the rail-. rail-. road. Wo support the railways In their ef-I ef-I forts to secure a higher rate for the t.ansportaUon they furnish. It costs more now in labor, material, taxes, : etc, to operate the railways lhan 1 It ever did before. Tho public de-! de-! mands fa.ster time, greater safety. ! more accommodations, better equipment equip-ment and hotter service. All this calls |