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Show All Honor Railroads On First Observance Of Railroad Week This week has been designated as Western Railroad week throughout every state and city in this section of this country, with a hope of placing before the general public the importance of maintaining railroads. ' Since the advent of trucks, buses and other modes of travel and transportation, railroads, long a vital factor in the upbuilding of this country, have suffered immeasurably. They have fought a good fight and are now endeavoring to come back. They need, however, the support of the people. Few industries in recent years have shown the progres-siveness progres-siveness and courage displayed by western railroads. Thru the investment of approximately nineteen million dollars in air conditioning equipment, western railroads have kept thousands of workmen busy since last fall, in plants and shops. . . Along with speedier transit, western railroads are maintaining main-taining their splendid record of safety. They are bringing to the west a new era of railroad progress. This new era in riding safety and comfort will, no doubt, serve as a decided inducement to stimulate travel to the west this year, thus benefiting many lines of business. . . The new air-conditioned equipment affords controlled temperature, with the proper amount of humidity at all times, cool in summer, warm in winter. The air is filtered, odorless and free from dust. Elimination of noises is also an added feature of the new modern railroad equipment. Should the railroads be forced to discontinue operation, taxes would necessarily be increased, as railroad companies have paid and continue to pay vast sums in taxes, each year. The Denver and Rio Grande railroad company alone, in the year 1934, paid $721,473.48 taxes in the state of Utah, and to Utah county $166,220.44. The latter amount represented repre-sented 58.86 percent of the rural, school taxes in this district. dis-trict. For city and town purposes $9,858.26 taxes were paid, and for county purposes $25,562.67, the latter being 14.01 percent of the total paid in the state for county use. Thousands of workmen are employed in the various-phases various-phases of railroad operation. In Salt Lake City alone the western railroads furnish employment to approximately 4,000 people, as many as would make up a small city. Multiply Mul-tiply this amount with the average monthly wage paid railroad rail-road employees, and one might see the importance of maintaining main-taining railroads in our capital city. Not only Salt Lake City, but almost every community of any proportion, receives some benefits from railroad operation. op-eration. The railroad payroll in SDringville alone totals approximately ap-proximately $40,000 annually. Take this amount from citizens citi-zens now employed by the railroads, and the town and business busi-ness thereof would undoubtedly be materially affected. While the employment phase of railroad maintenance is an important one, the old adage, "One never misses the water wa-ter until the well runs dry," would probably ring quite trt2 in every community, should railroads suddenly cease operation. oper-ation. Although trucks transport large quantities of produce pro-duce previously handled by rail, yet many items still are and must be shipped by railroads, in every pnase 01 operation, western railroads truly maintained their slogan of comfort, economy, safety and speed. In recognition of the importance of railroads and the part they have played, and will continue to play in the upbuilding up-building of this city, county, state and country, we wish them success, and join with other localities in observance of "Western Railroad' Week." 1 |