The Labor enquirer., 1885-04-25

grand army of labor under elected Off
cers who shall advocate immediate state
purchase by condemnation and appraise-
ment of all lines and as soon as possible
national government ownership OF all
lines of railway. controlled by q depart
ment similar to the postofice. Increase
the force am ployed to at least fifteen times
what it is now two and two-thirds men
per mile) largely increase the wages In
fact employ ten men per mile per DAY,
of eight hours, three shifts daily amount
ing in alto thirty men per mile Officials
includedl at from $S to $50 per day OF
eight hours. There are now 1000 em.
Moved there would be thereon the pres
ent l21 900 miles, 3,63O,000 men work
inc and daily distributing SIG. loo, 600 or
more among retailers that is now going
daily to monopolists to aid in making
tramps.
When the 800 600 miles of railway now
constructing and proposed are COM
pleted the force employed would be
9, ,OOO, 900 daily. distributing SAC, 600,
or more among small traders.
1t now costs the companies to move
trains, say one locomotive and ten cars,
about $3.50 per hundred miles every
thing possible to estimate included, or
my to cross the continent for such
train about $3.50. =.
Cars average fifty seats, and train OF
ten cars, 500 passengers, charge OF $lIo
would produce $3.50, or pay the total cost
Of hauling them in the train across the
continent, all over that is profit 70 the
imonopolist or lost in empty seats, empty
cars and free passes and free luggage.
BY increasing the force to thirty men
per mile at from $3 to $50 per day OF
eight hours let us suppose the cost OF
Operation, including repairs, interest
and everything to be increased to 500
per average train of 800 seats per hum
dred miles. Then say $3 per passenger
we're charged for crossing the continent,
500 seats at So, amounts to 81 DOC, the
cost of carriage I am member OF
secret brotherhood which advocates the
foregoing ideas, and has already printed
some pamphlets giving their plan of or
ganization, platform of principles, and
would print much more five had money.
We think railroad men are, wastin G
| time by not organizing at once for such
, a movement, for they could soon control
the national government if they we're
Eprepared to place candidates before the
people promising work to from 5000, 900
to 100000 men at from So to $50 per day
in government employment, for there are
only about 10, ,O00, 600 voters in the United
States, and they would have majority
as soon as they were well organized.
The clubs should be either public or se-
cret bodies as the members of each sep
arate club thought best If all could be
/ public clubs then work would progress
faster. Our secresv and poverty has
prevented our rapid growth. 1 have
been for several years preparing book
| which I am too poor to pay for publish
ing, which goes into every variety OF de-
tail of cost of construction and operation
of railways in America. and gives many
estimates and comparisons of different
processes of operation, with many and
varied arguments in favor of govern
ment ownership of all lines of trans
portation and communication such as
railway, canals, telegraphs and, express
companies now control. If. you could
aid me to cause the publication and
rapid distribution think 1t would soon
change opinions and show that the great
expense of running railways is the I'M
mense aggregate loss on empty cars, free
baggage and free passes and the useless
large salaries and immense stock profits
to owners and general officers.
This is, no doubt, already too long
for your paper. If you wish topublish
it, however, do so, and if you want more
of similar kind you have but to ask it
of yours to command. SCRIBE.