The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-02-18

pany Is a great distributor net only of
passenger and freight, but of money. As
fast as Its earnings come in. they so out
again. First. we have the army Of direct
employees, which reached nearly $4,000
few years ago, but which has been reduced
fully 100000. With continued prosperity.
our railway system would have to-day
furnished direct employment to at least
ZOO employees. This. however. gives but
an imperfect idea Of the number employed
indirectly, that Is, in car shops and loco
motive works, and equipment shops of all
kinds, blast furnaces, rail mills and a
myriad industries dependent upon the rail-
ways for their prosperity. AS the percent
age OF Increase in equipment has been re-
duced from ten per cent. in $780, to an
actual decrease in 1895. it may be safely
assumed that thousands indirectly engaged
have been thrown out of employment. A
perusal Of the statistics of railways as
compiled by the United States govern
ment shows conclusively that under ex-
listing conditions most Of our railways are
running behind, and the few that are ap.
parently holding their own are far from
hopeful for the future. Economical man
agement Is one thing, but forced economies
can only result in deterioration of the
property. For few years some Of our
older railways can thus economize but it
is only by continued and liberal expendi-
.ure Of money that track, roadbed, bridges.
up-to-date and in good running order. The
loss to labor has been enormous, and 1t is
important that railway employees of Gil
grades should study this side of the Ques-
ton. With freight and passenger rates
less than those of European countries.
where labor Is paid about half the Ame1i-
can rates. how long will our railways he
able to tide along with reduced forces ard
three-quarter time? Unless the decline IN
receipts Is stopped, wages must be re-
duced. and then the trouble will begin.
Taking an army of 200, 600 men out Of active
employment in one occupation is pretty
serious business. That means an annual
loss in wages Of not less than $3.50 600, 900.
Here we have the direct loss. The indirect
loss comes from the irreparable injury 70
the properties by reason Of not keeping
them up. ultimately entaillng additional
losses
With the exception of 1894, passenger
rates reached their lowest I'M 1885. while
freight rates, save a small rally in 1872,
are steadily coming down. When compared
with foreign countries. are rates are in
deed low. It is said that If the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad company could secure the
same rates as the London &. Northwestern
company, the annual earnings would be
Increased $12.0 ,oGo. Mr.. George r. Blanch-
ard, In his recent testimony before the in
terstate commerce committee Of the sen
ate, said that had our railways collected the
lowest Of the European charges, we
would have received $50, O00. 900 more than
we did receive. This calculation was based
on the figures Of 1892. The figures Of 1885,
which are lower for the United States,
would make greater difference.
The impartial student Of these data must
be struck with the necessity of CONNER
c1al as we'll as Industrial reconstruction
The census reports of 1880 and 1890 and tn.
statistics Of the Interstate commerce COM
| mission, all Of which are uniform, together
with the valuable reports Of H. V. Poor
give us material on which to base thor
ougE inquiry. The presidents and other
officers who have charge of these great
opportunity to be heard as the manufacture
ing industries. So far as can learn, there
Is no desire on the part of railway man.
ayers to generally raise rates. There is,
however. widespread belief that rock
bottom prices have been reached, and
that anything. even the merest shade lower.
will be, absolutely ruinous.
The case against the railways Is q ia
miltar one. Those who realize these new
conditions have no excuses or apologies
for past mismanagement. nor for the
methods by which some Of these roads
were built. Whatever may be said Of those
who built railways far In advance Of popu-
lat1on. or for purposes other than 1egiti-
mate trade, we have. on the other hand
equally to blame, the cities and towns
and counties and individuals who were
ready to mortgage the future to help along
the work. In large measure the wind
and the water and the fraud have been
squeezed out Of these properties. In their
place new and honestly-acquired capital
in the shape Of enforced loans from bond
holders and forced assessment of stock
holders has been invested. Foreclosures,
the sheriff and the courts have wiped out
| much of the inflated values and new CAPT.
tai with reorganization for business pur-
poses has followed. Surely no one will
deny that the consolidation and changes,
say of the last decade, have been bene-
hcial. There is more uniform action than
ever before. Better business principles pre-
| vail. The public have never been so well
and so cheaply served as now. Consider
ing the hard times, the discharges. the
reduced time, there has never existed bet
ter feeling between the railway employee
and the officers than at present. The loss
of 800. 900 900 income in five years mus,
have been q staggering blow. A continu.
alton Of this sort of thing would simply
destroy much Of our wealth and arrest thu
progress Of the republic, "