Show WHEN RAILROADS FOLD UP on the first of the year several branch lines of large railroads were abandoned in a middle western state the abandonment was forced as has been the case with thousands of miles of such line during the past few years by publicity subsidized and inequitable competition and regulation that caused destruction of railroad revenues which made it financially impossible to keep on operating to the outside world the abandonment meant little it was a rather dull item in a newspaper and nothing more to the communities affected it was tragedy men will lose their jobs others will be transferred to different places and be forced to sell their homes and possessions at bankrupt prices property in a town without a railroad is usually the next thing to worthless business in these communities have announced liquidation of their assets grain elevators and lumber bards are closing down building and equipment worth many thousands are now a drug on a dead market the towns and their counties are losing a substantial part of their tax venue revenue e which came both from the railroads and the businesses which axe are liquidating this must result in heavier ta taxes on all other property every bit of which Is worth less now than it was when the railroad served the community the inevitable consequence of that will be retrogression ghost towns will stand in in the places that promised to be forward looking little cities such a suicidal railroad policy which penalizes the rails on one hand with taxes and ironhanded iron handed regulation and legislation and P pampers an apers their competitors on the aher is responsible nible for these don ments no policy does more to promote depression |