The sun., 1897-10-24
THE RAILWAY PROBLEM.
a MATTER IN WHICH LABoR HAS
MORE IHTEREsT THAN CAPITAL

MORE INTEREBT THAN CAPITAb'
.,
Shermo". "s. .N,.r :" .rNo.. . ,,-~.,s "a -
.',.. ,s.,S,.,,., Ns....,,s ss T,,,n.
VIII those OF our millions OF toiiors directy
and indirectly eneasod In inc ihaustry OF trans
portation do Ittle simple olphcrlng ana per
haps nttie thinking on "nat inc pohtica' econ.
omists call the railW@y prooienli Inc reporIoi
tho Interstate Commerce commission Just
issued. contains Tor the hrst tlho some incts III
relation TO the total amount OF money PAID out
by our railways in wages ana salaries 10 leoor.
These figures. embracing w per cent. OF all en-
playeos. show that for every Sloo paid out ee
operating expenses OF railways more thah Toois
paid over directly 10 iaoor VI tho remaining
$40. probably an equal II not a greater, proper
tion 10 indirectly paid out Tor lanor. All tneme'
toriR!s ana supplies purchased oy thcso great
distributors or money represent iaDor from tno
hrst tap OF tho drill in tho iron ana coal mno 10
she final coat OF paint ON the hnished locomotive
Tho interest OF laoor IN tho railway question
is far greater than the interest OF capital, anu
ret, for some unknown reason, the detcnce OF
these properties has peen leit TO capital. whiio
labor has, until comoarauVeiy recent time'
taken littlo interest In tho conhict. During a
period OF nearly twenty-five years there has
boon moro or less natonai ieEislation ana an
innnito variety OF State iesieieuon IN roiation
70 railways. ana yet ourihs tnao "hoie perioo
experts inform US 'h"' iceis,a'ion h"S never
poen triendly' Out Always uh'rienaiy, 10 railway
interests. AS consequence Oh 'his, ana ior
otner reasons perhaps no' "irec'iy "t'riou1aoie
10 ieRisia'ioi'' ou' "hich ih'eiABeh' "nu rienuly
!es's'ation "ouia' IN measure nave aiieVia.ed'
the captei orie'nai'y invested IN railways mas
!ost its earning power, anu ior every Slo" thus
invested more than w mas no earning power.
.ho interest," Vi oap'1"i al Ii'o runway question
mas therefore veo" soiio"'is uiipin'sheo'
ho" nos t"ooA ia.'u. Du'iiis 'his periou
snero nss ooen Nv iou"o,ioh in tue rates paiu
- -, =, ,s..,, ...H., =.
..ssa, - .t-,s, 80 -, - ,',
,, A.. - 49,. .h, D.. -. ~, A
s sp .. ~ ,'
-. ,sa... az. a, 49, -. ...sa.,
.n,s,.r.s ssnoat, ,,,, %, 80 nr...n. ,,n,. 49,
80 80, ,,,t r. - ,ahan ,aas,,~..
a s,s- r. III. -; ,.h;ah 49,. .s.,
80 h.,o sornd thanso,,.as has rnt oni,
.o,y.u- roamooa .ho r,,n,hor ~ ,r,ro-o,rn.rs
.n,n,oroa h,,t ,sIat;ro,r ~ tho inoroaaa =,
s,,iia.r.o - s..ss ~ s,,nIo,ort - -
5;,,on., h.nds ~, ~ h.s;, ~ ooH 600 ,,,y,s -,
-.u.,.rs Go sh.,,,a an,,io,. ~ Ioas, A. ho,s.
,or o.oh ,,;Io ,i,;nr diroct onn,oy,,.nt
40 900 - IsS.s - -
.s -, - ,, -. c.. 90
,eo- 81, eoc COO a.,oro n,,I..a a., 700.
Thus, while Populstic legislators arc ioy.
- su..t 80. 49, ,,an..u T., II. ~.
have DESTROYED the earning powers of the rail.
way monopolists. the heads of nearly 200. 900
American families. representing nearly 600.
600 men. women and children. have been seek.
=. 49,, 49, ~. H.
- -, . H -
upward of $4,000. 600 600 of stock and bonds
now in default been applied to the pay,of labor
employed in the maintenance of these proper.
tics as over 90 per cent of them would have
been, every one of these homes might have been
made prosperous and happy.
has heen asssr,s 4 that in m. railway br,i.
ness of the country tho interest of labor "a n.
day far greater than the interest of canital
Tho facts show that t,vo,birda ~ N. conitol
invested in RAILWAYS ia TO-DAY earniny nothinc
,vitbont counting the IA nor cent of bonds in
defoplt of interest, On an estimate of 900 600
idle men ont of the million our RAILWAYS should
....,z.- a. -,.....-..,. % = -. "a ~, -
einpioy'n IL prosperous ~ per cent OF the LABOR
10 earning nothing. II rates continue to de-
Ill. -......:.. s....,.... -. IT,.