The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-11-09
LABOR AND OUR RAILROADS.


Enormous sum, Paid in Wages 20 Rail-
way Employees In Wages
Certain tn Follow Adverse Liquidation.
necessity OF UnIou.
The report of the Interstate commerce
commission just issued contains for the
first time some facts in relation to the
total amount OF money paid out by our
railways in wages and salaries to labor,
These figures, embracing 80 per cent OF
NIL employees, show that for every 500
paid out as operating expenses OF rail-
ways more than $50 is paid over directly
10 labor. OF the remaining $40 probably
nm equal, II not a greater proportion Is
indirectly paid out for labor,
The interest OF labor In tie railway
question is far greater than the lntEIest
OF capital, and yet, 70, some unknown
reason. says Robert p. Porter in the New
York Sun, the defense of these proper
ties has been left to capital, While labor
ms, until comparatively recent fime,
taken little interest In the onfllct Dur
ing period of nearly twenty-five years
there has been more or less national leg
lslatlon In relation TO railways and yet
during that whole period experts inform
us that legislation has never been friend
Is, but always unfriendly, to railway In
seresls As consequence OF this, the
capital originally invested In railways
has lost lis earning power, and for every
500 thus Invested more than $40 has no
earning power.
During this period there has been no
reduction in the rates paid labor, but In
one way labor has suffered and severely,
The plight In which our railways have
found themselves has not only actually
reduced the number OF wage-earners en-
ployed, but, relatively 10 the Increase OF
mileage, has prevented the employment
OF additional hands, on the basis OF
200. 900 miles of railways, We should en-
ploy at least Ave hands for each mite,
giving direct employment to 100000
persons. Instead OF thus, We had only
Sc, $50 persons employed in 1886 Thus,
while Popullstlc legislators are joyously
dila,lng over the manner In which they
have destroyed the earning powers OF the
railway monopollsts, the heads OF nearly
100000 American families, representing
nearly 100000 men, women and chill
dren, have been seeking In vain for job.
On the other hand. had half the annual
earnings say at per cent, of upward OF
81 500 0OO 900 of stock and bonds now in
default been applied to the pay OF labor
employed IN the maintenance OF these
properties, as over 60 per cent OF them
would have been every one OF these
homes might have been made prosperous
and happy.
The facts show that two-:hlrds of the
capital invested in railways Is to-day
earning nothing, without counting the l6
per cent of bonds In default Of interest.
on an estimate OF 100000 idle men out of
100000 our railways should employ, II
prosperous. 20 per cent OF the 'labor is
earning nothing. frates continue to de-
cline and properties deteriOrate, labor,
which, even under these adverse condl-
tons, is receiving far more than capital
will come next, ana reduction OF wages,
with all its attending horrors, must
come not as matter OF choice. but OF
necessity, because j greater share OF the
capital has already gone down under adj
verse legislation and the terrific compe'
tltlon which has continuously and I'M
reasonably reduced the earning power OF
So many NJ these great enterprises. In
1896 the official figures show that of the
operating expenses alone the enormous
sum Of 1865, s2I,5 3l was paid out in wages
and salaries. This does not represent
the sums indirectly paid for labor, but
only those directly paid. Relatively &c
labor, dividends, Interest, rentals, and SC
forth, are comparatively small. The
time has therefore come for the labor In
terests OF the country, directly and In.
directly dependent upon railways, and
the immediate business interests all over
this vast domain OF ours. whose prosper
ity is equally dependent upon the sue.
cess Of these undertakings, to look over
the situation and decide FOR themselves
IL 1t is not time to cry a halt on all legis'
latioh which has for rs direct aim th'
further wreckinE OF interests so tremen'
dously interviewer with the welfare o.
every class of labor.