A practical look at the fight over railroad rates and what it means for public service and investor return.
This nonfiction work presents a historic rate hearing that challenged what railroads could charge and why. It centers on a major case involving the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and the new Mann-Elkins laws, showing how one company argued that current charges were too low and why higher rates were needed to fund essential improvements. The material offers a window into railroad finance, risk, and the tension between public needs and corporate obligation.
- Learn why rates were considered too low and how that affected service, credit, and investment.
- See how a railway executive explains profits, capital, and the desire to fund capital projects.
- Understand the role of regulations, hearings, and expert testimony in setting prices.
- Get a grounded view of the practical, long-term costs of maintaining a large transportation network.
Ideal for readers of economic history and policy debates about infrastructure, regulation, and public accountability.