| Show government OWNERSHIP government ownership of railroads I 1 would be a calamity people of the united states know this from their experience when the roads were taken over by the gov government emment as a war measure it should take at least a generation for us to forget the poor service higher rates and run down condition of the roads which occurred at that time fortunately for the country and business generally sen ator stor la follette the one candidate for president who advocates the fallacy of government ownership has no chance of election and will permitted to put his doctrines into practice since the railroads were returned to private ownership they have made wonderful progress in increased efficiency and service with the improved conditions has come a better understanding among the people of the close relationship between efficient transportation and prosperity the feeling is very properly growing that in the interest of the users as well as a the owners the railroads should be given a chance chime in the past few years business of the lines has increased many fold improvement in the service eel vice rendered the public has been pronounced pronoun cedi and the increase in wages paid employees has been substantial but figures compiled by the interstate ITter state commerce commission show that the additional return to the stockholders of the roads has been relatively small the railway age concerning concer nang class 1 railroad railroads furnished by the interstate commerce commission and und bowed showed what has happened to the railways of the country within the part past ten year these ilese sta statistic among other things thin show that the increase in the of the railways was total earnings earring ii per mile while the ln ini crease in their net return available for paying interest and dividends was only 00 per mile and nd that there fore the stockholders received directly and indirectly only one thirty fifth of the total increase in the earnings the analysis further showed that th the e increased increase operating expenses et r rises mile was and of th this am per bant 00 01 70 per cent f was paid out in increased wages it further shown that of all the was changes chances that occurred on the railways the increase in taxes was relatively much the greatest great L the increase during the decade covered in paid employees on an each ach mile of wages line operated was shown to be per cent |
