You must allow us--must allow the railroad--a fair interest on the investment.
You don't want us to go into the receiver's hands, do you now, Mr.
Derrick ?" "The Board of Railroad Commissioners was bought," remarked Magnus sharply, a keen, brisk flash glinting in his eye.
"It was part of the game," put in Harran, "for the Railroad Commission to cut rates to a ridiculous figure, far below a REASONABLE figure, just so that it WOULD be confiscation.

Whether Ulsteen is a tool of yours or not, he had to put the rates back to what they were originally." "If you enforced those rates, Mr.Harran," returned S.Behrman calmly, "we wouldn't be able to earn sufficient money to meet operating expenses or fixed charges, to say nothing of a surplus left over to pay dividends----" "Tell me when the P.and S.W.ever paid dividends." "The lowest rates," continued S.Behrman, "that the legislature can establish must be such as will secure us a fair interest on our investment." "Well, what's your standard?
Come, let's hear it.

Who is to say what's a fair rate?
The railroad has its own notions of fairness sometimes." "The laws of the State," returned S.Behrman, "fix the rate of interest at seven per cent.

That's a good enough standard for us.

There is no reason, Mr.Harran, why a dollar invested in a railroad should not earn as much as a dollar represented by a promissory note--seven per cent.
By applying your schedule of rates we would not earn a cent; we would be bankrupt." "Interest on your investment!" cried Harran, furious.