The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-05-07

sought as an important element in
oppressive political power, and that
! the elevation of military forces has
been the controlling purpose in most
government constructed highways
from the Appian Way of Rome to the
Trans Caspian railroad of Russia.
Public interest is forgotten in political
necessity and railroads become pOliti-
co-military machines under control of
despOtic rulers. This being the usual
condition of the government, let us
consider what would be the condition
of the individual where such state
of affairs exists.
1t has been claimed, and we admit,
that strikes and labor troubles are I'M
known, but we do not find that it is
because the government is a better
agency than individuals.
Under state control railroad man.
ayers become government officials,
with such jurisdiction and authority
as are implied in that term. The or
ders of an officer become imperative
and the duty of an employee is i'm
plicit obedience or the penalties of the
| law for disObedience. 1t is kind of
military service governed by many
like regulations and subject to the
same civil service rules. No employee
is advanced above the one standing
before him on the promotion roll. For
unfaithfulness or inefficiency he is re-
duced in rank or dismissed according
to the measure of his offense. If re-
duced in rank he is again subject to
the stern rule of priority in his adj
hn OF
yield, for no committee can make APP
peal for him however unjustly he may
have been treated. The railroad en-
plOye then has just as much voice and
influence in the matter of his wages
and the hours of his work as a soldier
in the German army has and no more.
For railway employees there to APP
point committees for appeal and de-
mand, to dictate terms and resist
wrongs, is as impossible as like action
for a regiment of soldiers. For these
reasons apparent peace and content
ment always reign, not because the
government is a better agency than
individuals, but because despOtic rule
has crushed out all the rights and
ambitions of the labOring man.
Now and then there is found a per-
son who believes that wages of labor
are higher and rates of transportation
lower on gOveTnment-Ownedt than on
private-Owned railroads. The eXper-
fence of countries where state owner
ship has existed does not justify this
belief. y few figures chosen from late
reports show clearly what their eX-
perience has been compared with that
of the United States.
In considering wages, the unit Of a
days work there is not the number
of miles run or hours worked as here,
where extra work receives extra pay,
but it is whatever may be required in
the day of twenty-fOur hours. In
Germany the average annual wages
paid were SOY; In Russia, SOD; in
AustrO-Hungary, S232; in the United
States, for the 80 companies reporting
to the Kansas Railroad Commission,
5000. The average daily wages paid
to engineers were: In Germany ST.,
i'm Belgium, Sl.0S, in the United States
S3.7S, and the wages paid employees in
less responsible positions show nearly
the same ratio of increase. :. Are wages
like these what American labOring
men desire i'm the name of reform?
1t. Will be granted without argu-
ment that the prosperity of a railroad
depends upon the number of people
who have use for that road and the
tonnage of the freight offered for
transportation upon it. This being
true, would it be unreasonable for the
United States having but 307 people
to each mile of railroad, to charge
higher rates than foreign countries,
IN. CT IN ciN-tna11 fintaS that I0IIn1-
Der for each mile?
But the fact is, that the rates in the
United States are but little higher
than the average rates in the chief
European countries and are lower
than their first class rates. In these
countries the average rates are about
One-half cent lower than the rates
charged in the United States, but
these average rates are extremely
dear, even at this price for less atten-
ton and money are given to provide
TOR the comfort and convenience of
second and third class passengers
than many stOckmen in this country
give to their cattle and swine in their
transportation. AS first class fares
and Accommodations are all that the
citizens of the United States know
anything about or would submit to,
the comparison is more just if made
between the first class fares of the
leading European countries and the
United States. In Germany the
average first class passenger fare is
cents, in Austria 3.8 cents, in Bel
gium "a cents and in the United
States 81 cents. In the latter, aside
from regular rates, family tickets are
often granted on the suburban trains
leading to and from the large cities
good for period OF time for one or
more members of the family, without
regard to the number of times it was
used or the number of miles Travelled
upon it, Passenger rate-sheets OF
many roads leading from Boston,
New York and Philadelphia, give
first class rates at One-half cent per
l., %hor1grh+ Of