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Show Consolidation Into Comparatively Few Systems of All the Railroads ; By SENATOR A. B. CUMMINS, in Address to Iowa Legislature. 1 There is no man in this world who is more earnest than I am for J the reduction of railway rates. I know how burdensome they are upon all industry, and especially upon a farmer who has been, and probably j Ftill is in many instances, selling his products at less than cost, j There is but one way, however, in my judgment, through which the whole body of rates can' be materially reduced, and that way lies through ' a reduction in the cost of maintenance and operation. The wages of the ; railway workers constitute about CO per cent of the total expense of main- tenancc and operation. With the present cost of living, it is my judgment' railway wages cannot be and ought not to be, in justice, substantially lessened, and they may have to be increased. We cannot control, and ought not to control, the price of supplies. There is but one way to reduce cost of operation materially, and it (? is by consolidating all the railroads into comparatively few systems, and while I cannot discuss that subject at this time I venture to say that with i proper consolidation, and with efficient management, the railroads can render more and better service than they now render at a cost of $500,-! $500,-! 000,000 per year less than they now expend |