New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-03
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P1ILRO4D TROUBLES.

III mere demagOSueS NOllu cease 10 uaTktn
counsel, some good might come from the strike
of freight handlers But the persons who are
permitted to act in the name of "The Board
of Trade and Transportation omit no Oppor-
tunity for misrepresentation, and labor I'M
ceasingly to make falsehood grow i'll the public
mind instead of truth. In hearing on FRI
day. Commissioner Fink showed that the adj
vance in rates, against which many merchants
protest, would still leave rates much lower
than those In force year ago. At that time
the charges on west-bOund freight for the four
classes were rs, 90, so and 40 cents respec-
lively. The advance just made puts the rates
at 60 cents for the first class, and In like pro-
portion down to 20 cents for the fourth SO that
people are protesting against rates that are
actually lower by 37l2 per cent than those
which they paid without a word or thought of
objection one year ago. Railroad managers
have been warned repeatedly that, if they made
unnaturay low and Improbable rates during
their wars with each other, there would be
terrible growing by all sorts of demagogues.
and Ey some weil-meaning but ill-informed
persons. whenever an attempt should be made
to raise rates again so that the roads could
pay expenses. Mr.. Fink maintains that 20
cents per 100 pounds does not pay
expenses, ard states that the actual cost OF
transportation, including interest on capital
invested, is SO cents per 100 pounds on
grain from Chicago to New York. Because
some kinds of freight must be carried at less
than cost, or not at all. it becomes necessary
to charge more than the bare cost on other
kinds Of freight, which can pay more without
inconvenience to the public.
The question for candid and just men to
consider is whether the railroads are charging
more than their services are really worth. 1t
is not Just or decent TO claim that they must
never again charge as much as those services
are worth, because they saw fit, during
quarrel with each other, to carry freight for
nothing. The fact is that the rates in force
before the freight war last year were generally
and justly considered very low and altogether
reasonable There was no complaint. The pub
lie refused with utter contempt to listen to
the misrepresentation of demagogues, and
recognized the fact that charges for transpOrta-
ton had then been reduced more than charges
for butter or bread, oleomargarine or pork,
meats OF dry goods. Since that time the actual
cost of transportation has advanced. Iron
and other materials are higher, labor costs
more, and yet the railroads are roundly
abused by many dishonest and some honest
persons for asking rates 37l2 per cent less
than were paid year ago.
In respect to the demand for higher wages
too. there has been vast deal of wiful mis-
representation. The strikers themselves have
behaved in a dIgniGed, law-abiding and manly
way, which has won for them much public
sympathy, but the demagogues who have tried
10 use the strike as q means OF creating
pref dice against the railroads have circulated
most dishonest statements 1t is not the fact
that the workers have received starvation
wages" At II ceuts an hour they were
getting more than the average pay OF laboIers
in this or any other city. In this city and
Philadelphia, for example, the average wages
of all workers in iron manufacturing establish
ments are only about $3.50 year. and the
average pay OF all who are not skilled me-
chanjcs is only 81 80 per day. The labor To-
quires practice, but is in no sense skilled
iabnr, as the wholly inexperienced mel who