The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-06-17
POOLING LAW NEEDED
RAILROAD INDUSTRY KILLED BY
IGNORANT LEGISLATION.
Absolute Necessity for q Pooling Law
if the Roads Are to Prosper and
Continue to Give Work to Their
Eight Hundred Thousand Em pIoycs.
Railroad Prc,idcut', Sicws.

Mr. r.. B Thomas, in response to an in
quiry from the Washington Post regard
ing his views ns to the relation of tn"
railroads of the country 10 the prosperii Y
of the people, and particularly ~ 10 his
views upon the pooling bill now before
Congress, says:
There exists in the public mind m ap
prehonson that tho railways arc opposed
10 the pnh" interest, nnd that any l"gs.
lation which restraints railways is Of No.
crsslty for tho good of the people nt large.
This mistaken iden has had much 10 do
with shaping tho state legislation that
has in many instances 50 severely Grip
pied railway enterprise, and, in 4 large
measure. this impression was prevalent
when, ten years ago, Congress took its
first step in dealing with the railway
problem. Looking back for twenty years
ii is difficult 10 recall n single Legislative
measure, national or State, proposed, al
yOcatcd or enacted for the benefit of the
railways, whereas during that period hun
drcds and even thousands OF propositions
have been brought forward, many of them
unhappily enacted into laws which seri-
ously injurc railway property and cause
great loss 10 those who have invested
their money in this form Of security.
Largest Employers of Labor.
Railways are not only tho largest en-
ploycrs of labor direct, but they are cnor
nous purchasers of supplies. II tho rail
way system Of the United States were
even fairly prosperous tho amount of
money it would annually Distribute over
this broad land would exceed 81 100000
600. Comparing our railways with our
national government, which il regarded
nv a pretty big business we find that the
Government disburses on m average
about 100000, 900. or one-third ns much
as our railways. Take the Erie Railroad
system as an example: With n gross in.
come Of about S30,OOO.O0O per annum, 1t
distributes in wages among about 10000
employees, over $l6,mDOCO, and for ma.
terial nearly six millions, the greater part
of which goes to the labor producing the
manufactured articles.
Tho total number of railroad employees
in tho United States Is about 100000 and
the total expenditure is over S725, ,0OO, 900.
Taking as an average five individuals to
fnmily. We see that there nre some A.,
OOO, 900 of people directly dependent for
their existence upon the railroad indus
try. and | feel safe. therefore, In saying
that in the conducting of transportation
the railways distribute more actual money
TO greater number OF individuals
through more numerous channels and over
wider area of country than any other
industry.
Vast Sums Annually Expended.
Great and far.reaching as are these dis
bursemsnts, the S250,OOO,0O0 per annum
expended in late years, in wha, may be
termed keeping this property in good re.
pair, give employment to hundreds of
thousands of track laborers, skilled ia.
borers in our rail mills, locomotive, car.
and machine shops, and so on through an
immense range Of trades and occupations.
Even during these bad years, and with
uncertain rates. the railways are putting
$40 100000 per annum into their road
beds, $4,000, 900 into new rails and ties,
and over S15. 100000 into new bridges.