Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-08-31
The Fast Freight Barnacles.

Inc discussion OF the LABOR problem,
especially as it involves railroads, covers
wide field. Our reporters have investi-
gated one phase, and in our last issue
were printed the results, which give one
very important reason why railroads are
unable to pay dividends and are COM
PEELED to reduce the wages of their en-
ployes. In an interview with very
prominent railroad official the latter let
in flood of light upon this subject,
speaking in general way of railroad
business. One case will illustrate the
whole. In order to attract custom the
railroads allow a rebate to heavy ship.
pers. A large mercantile house makes
an annual contract with the roads or with
the fast-freight lines which live upon the
roads at a certain rate, say seventy-five
cents per hundred. The house pays this
rate, and then at any time it pleases lays
claim to a rebate of forty-five cents,
which is allowed, leaving thirty cents
which must be divided between three or
four companies and their Red"
White" or "Blue" lines. Deducting
the numerous minor charges from this
amount and it is easy to see that next to
nothing goes into the treasury of the
company to be divided among the stock
holders. Therefore it happens that while
the expenses of the road may be light
and the amount of tonnage it carries very
heavy, still its receipts are exceedingly
small and do not yield any return to the
owners.
At the bottom of all this trouble lies
that barnacle upon railroad prosperity,
the fast.freight line. The official to
whom we have alluded says: {" All the
roads running from the East, the great
trunk lines, are unfortunately harassed
with too many sub-lines, with which
they are compelled by contract to share
their earnings. By sub-lines l refer to
the lines known as the Globe Blue,
Anchor Star Union,' National Dis
patch, and whole grist of others as nu-
merous as the tentacles of Victor Hugos
devil-fish." And again: each rail-
road has three or four more lines hang
ing to its skirts, and these lines have sep
arate establishments and separate man
ayers, officials, clerks and runners. They
are themselves, to all interests and pur-
poses, thoroughly organized institutions,
and are only secondary to the railroads
on whose track they run. 1t costs money
to run these lines, but competition has
created them and made them appear as
a necessity" These parasites upon the
railroad system are organized by outside
spectators lwell-grounded suspicion says
inside spectators, the wheel within a
wheeD, who put their own cars upon the
tracks, handle them, and do the business
as independent of the road as if they
ting inconsiderable compensation for the
use of engines and tracks. They are
about as useful as the parasite, and in
their cut-throat competition with each
other they play the part of the parasite
by sucking away the substance of the
road. Their most frequent pretext for
existence is that they bring business to
the roads, while they do not bring a
pound. The business of the country in
evitably and of necessity seeks the rail
roads. There is just so much business to
do, and there are no facilities for doing
it outside of the railroads. They did it
before fast-freight lines ever suggested
themselves to busy spectators or schem-
ing railroad officials, and they will con-
tinue to do it after these barnacles are
scraped off, as they must be sooner or
later if stockholders ever expect to get
dividends. They may divert business
from this road to that, but they do not
increase the aggregate quantity, any
more than drummers for dry goods
houses increase the quantity bought and
sold. They are superfiuous middle-men,
eating up the dollars that legitimately
and honestly belongto stock or bond
holders, involving the road in cut-throat
competition aud bad faith, and eventu-
ally bringing some of them under the red
flag of the Sheriff. They are pirates,
who have seized upon the railroad prop.
erty and hoisted their blue, white or red
flag, as the case may be, and, like the
pirate, when they have robbed the ship
they scuttle it. Hence all the disorgan-
ization and unsettled character of rail
road business, the vicious system of re-
bates, confidential drawbacks and dead
heading, the discovery of directors that
there are no profits, though the tonnage
may be immense, the orders slashing of
10 or Is per cent. from the wages of EN-,
ployes, and the unjust and Illogical sys.
tenn of switching charges, which it is be-
lieved in some quarters do not go to the
railroad companies. There are two
classes robbed by this middle business
the stockholders and bOndholders on the
one hand and the employees on the other
and meanwhile the general community
is not benefited in the least. There is nc
doubt that the railroad companies car
largely increase their profits without cut
| ting the wages of employees at all, by