Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-21
The railroad advocates are making desperate

Washington.
The railroad advocates are making desperate
efforts to befog tho issues involved in the At
kinson bill and to give tie impression that it il
merely q measure 70 increase local freight
facilities, and that 10 does not affect the cues
tions of the removal Of certain grade Crossings
and its occupation Of the mall. Tho opposi-
tion of course is not to that part OF the meas
Crc which increases freiSh. facilities. All the
projects o. settlement by which this bin is
opposed furnish this increase. The features OF
the bill. which give !. individuality are those
n which It differs from the other projects.
II lcgelizes and perpe.uates surfuce tracks at
points where the removal OF these tracks and
Of the accompanying grade crossings is sought.
Il authorizes the multiplication of such tracks
At these points in the future and the indefinite
increase OF the persons TO whose interest it will
be 70 retain these tracks on the surface. BY
confirming the Illegal occupation Of half
dozen small reservations without compensa-
sion Il establishes principle which would rem
ter hopeless any attempt to shake its legal
though theoretically temporary occupation OF
the mall. II gives away for nothing to the rail-
road the concessions which ought to be the
price Of public relief from some of the evils OF
fraGe crossings and the surface occupation OF
,i.s mall, and thus denies this relief. 1t is re-
PORTED as a settlement OF the railroad problem
ga preference to measures which include with
the enlargement Of the freight facilities treat
Eaent Of the question of grade crossings and the
occupation Of reservations. Endorsement Of it
- refusal vi them, and n perpetGaton OF
tine conditions which they seek 20 change.
The people have long sought unsuccessfully
improvements in the railroad occupation while
they had concessions 10 offer the railroad IN
return. Will it no. completely destroy all
chance OF their success to rob them of their
only means OF barteripS with the road fer pub
lie relief: As Representative Hemphill very
pcrtinently said: If you want to get anything
out of y railroad company the time to get it Is
when tho railroad company wants to get some
thing out of you" In the light of experience
present neglect or pOstponement OF the peo-
pies requests is equivalent to their denial.
Chief Wadiin. Of the Massachusetts bureau
Of statistics of labor in his twentieth annual
report. Just received, hopes Tor solution Of
the problem of limit Of time for labor which
shall lie q. once practicable and beneficial 10
the labOring men 10 be reached by agitation
tempered with moderation and right under
standing Of economic conditions. According
to the report Massachusetts, has III all 23.43l
industries In 1864, CT Zig per cent. women
and minors are not employed and in 1927, o.
sec per cent. male adults are not employed
of the first class % 90 per cent report ten hours
As the daily working time Of operatives. Estab.
lishmen.s employing male adults, or 20. 06 per
cent Of all, sOrt ten the daily working
time. II thus appears that in much the large
number OF establishments ten hours are at
present the length Of tbs work. * day. Women
and minors in Isl tabl Slments exceed ten
hours daily. and LA establishments make the
same return rs to clale adults. The report |
notes significant fact in conclusion: THAI
the influence of the employment of womer and
minors. while perhaps tending to decrease
wages. also tends under the icn-hour law 70 |
shorten daily working time"
The Post bubbles over the question whether !
the public land Illegally appropriated by .he
Baltimore and Potomac railroad was desig.
mated as reservations under the original
agreement with the proprietors Of the SOIL as
if that had the slightest bearing on the merits
Of the discussion. This property, which is
more fully described elsewhere in today's
STAR, is land the title to which is in the United
States, which is similar to plots that are ini-
proved As parks elsewhere III the city. and it is
not Of the slightest consequence whether they
are described as ''open spaces" or ''reserva-
tons" or whether Washington or Col. Wilson
numbered them for convenience Of reference
N a private citizen should appropriate to his
uses Scott Circle. or Thomas Circle or Iowa
Circle and attempt to justify himself on the
ground that the property is technically an
open space and not Il reservation, he would
I'll. Il
Soon be made TO appreciate Its absGrdity The
Fost also resurrecis the claim that the interests
Of through freigL. demand the passage OF the
Atkinson bill. President Roberts. in words
which of record. solcmn!y assured the
Senate District committee tina; through frcights
are not affected ~ the inadequate local facili-
ties. and that if there is any obstruction of
them here it is entirely unnecess..y. II in the
light ct this statemen. through freights are
row actually DISTRACTED in Washington does IT
not follow tina; this unnecessary obstruction is
brought about by the railroad to give false
impression to through shippers and TO coercc
them into support of tho measure? The rail
road cannot blow hot and cold in the same
breath. The Posts claim discredits the state
H.ents of the prcsiden. of tho road which it is
serving. Is ii not guilty Of domestic treason?
There is a difference of opinion as to whether
the bin against monopolistic trusts in food
products, which has just passed Congress with
practical unanm;'y, will restrain these organi-
cations. Public feeling 10 strong in opposition
to the trusts and something is necessary 20 be
done. II this measure, which gives the United
States courts jurisdiction and provides heavy
penalties for transgressions OF the law does not
afford some remedy It will be in order III the
next Congress TO enact one that will.
Tho action Of the local knights OF Labor in
condemning the Atkinson bill supplements the
previous protest OF the Federation Of Labor
and arrays every labor Organization in tue