The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-15
President Thomas on Pooling.

The president of the Erie railroad,
Mr. e. b. Thomas, in a recently pub
lished article presents arguments,
from the railroad mans standpoint,
why pooling should be legal;zed by con-
gress. 1t is just to give him a hear
ing, but in 50 doing we shall have to
present the pith rather than the de-
tails of his article.
Mr.. Thomas, in beginning, notes
deplorable tendency by legislatures to
give the railroads the worst of it. In
the past twenty-five years he can re-
call many hostile acts of legislation
but not one proposed, advocated or
enacted for the benefit of the railways,
Notwithstanding that our railways en-
ploy more labor and purchase more
supplies than any other industry, their
annual disbursements being about
three times those of the national gov
ernment. Even during these bad
years" says Mr.. Thomas, land with
uncertain rates, the railways are put
ting $4,000, 900 per annum into their
roadbeds, $33, ,OOO, 900 into new rails and
bridges. The fences to keep off cattle
and the sign posts to warn people at
railway crossings cost over $3,500000
per annum. or more than the legisla-
tive branch of the national government.
Even the newspapers and printers are
deeply interested, for $S,500.0OO We're
spent in printing and advertising. The
/ .. te
considered an important business, and
yet the aggregate expenses of that de-
partment in 1895 We're S9O,544,322, while
for repairs and renewals of locomotives,
passenger and freight cars our rail-
ways expended in the same year $685.
707, ,9S9. A moments thought will make
1t clear that nearly all of this vast sum
is annually spent for mechanical labor
of all kinds, for nearly every branch of
industry enters into locomotive and
car building. In times normally good
you may safely figure on upward of
500, 900 600 per annum for this pur-
pose as a regular part of keeping the
rolling stock of railways up to date and
in good repair, to say nothing of an ad-
ditional ten millions for other mechan-
ical work incidental to keeping the
plants of transportation in good run
ming order / only refer TO these facts
for the purpose of showing how init
mately the successful conduct of these
great properties is interviewer with
other industries of the country, ant
how impossible it is to injure our rail
way properties without at the same
time seriously injuring almost all othel
occupations and curtailng the pros
perity of the entire nation"
Mr.. Thomas admits that mismanage
ment of railway property has been al
evil of serious proportions, but asserts
with evident truth, that legislative in
termeddling has not abolished it, H
expects it. to be cured, however, b.
the natural steadying- down process o
business development, which, as larg
profits disappear before increasin
competition, will necessitate not onl
honesty but also conservatism in rail
way management Yet even for tn
past President Thomas does not apol
ogize. He says:
IN new country, unuef new CoHulllOl'
and with rapldity that has astonishe
the older world, we have built up a raj
way system equal in mileage to all III
railways of the rest of the world CON
bined-a system vast and complex and tra
Verslng half a hundred states and terr
tories, each jealous of its own interest
and with legislative control within it's ow
domain. Unlike most countries, these eT
terprises have been projected PRACTICAL
at will and with no supervision as
whether the roads were needed or not.
IL surprising, therefore, that under sue
conditions mistakes have been made an
complications arisen that at times seoi
difficult to overcome? Yet the men II
sponsible for the work have used the
best judgment, given their best though
and many of them the best years of the
lives in honest endeavor TO make the mo!
of the enterprise in which they have en-
barked. Are not the purposes of this il
dustry as necessary and legitimate, al
not its owners entitled to as fair a retuT
upon their investment as other indus
triesF Are not Its officers and employees
honest, efficient, and patriotic as Z =