Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-06-09
THE THREE FACTORS.
JOHN DAVIS DISCUSSES RAIL
WAY RATES AND WAGES.


Wy ON phu bluVi huu VIC PlouuVofe "hu
handlers OF commodities on tho other
l allowed that they are the customers
OF each other and that tho prosperity
Of each promotes the prosperity o. tile
otherA b"
Hut now comes tho haunting cry
from tho railway corporations that the
general public and especially the farm
ers, on the one side, and the railway
employees on the other, have mutual
nntagonlsms which can never DO recon-
cllod. They justly state that the farm
ers and the general public desire lower
rates on the railroads, while the men
operating the roada desiro higher
wages and shorter hours.
The corporations claim that these
demands are, on each bide, earnest and
persistent and nj the same time incom-
patlble, There Ia plausIbllity In the
picture but no actual truth when View
cd from just and proper standpoint
Under normal conditions the difficulty
will dlsappear The corporations draw
us u picture Of an irresponsible con-
fiict" with the public, including the
farmers on one side and their employees
on the other. They would have us be-
lleve that the people generally are en-
gagged In war TO opprcss the railway
employees, and that the war is merci-
less aud endless The corporations
boldly claim that any lessening o. the
public burdeus by the reduction OF
railway rates must cause reduction
Of the wages OF the employees
To this corporation logic II may be
replied that under just management,
the corporations would have abundant
margins to pay their men better wages
for shorter hours and ut the same time
TO reduce the rates on the railways,
The fact Ia we are dealing with u
problem OF three factors, and II we
would correctly solve this problem we
must consider all tho factors, The
two factors thus far condsidcred are
the public aud the railway employees.
The third, aud at present the domln-
amt factor 10 the corporation managers
Of the roads That 10 the important
and dangerous party or factor which
has been pocketing It's thousands and
millions of dollars, while the farmers
and railway workers have been quar-
reling over pennies. The corporations
work with little noise, They lay their
plans carefully; and they carry them
out with certainty and consciencelees
precision. Laws, constitutions, court
decisions and public opinion are BRUSH
ed aside as cobwebs by the hand of Ii
giant The men composing these cor
porationS soon become millionaires.
Beginning business without money
they IRE very soon able to recon their
wealth by the hundreds Of millions;
ana IT is predicted that the coming
"Billionaire," is soon to arrive by rail,
urshered in by the floods and forgeries
Of his own watered stocks and fraudu-
lent railway capitalization.
These millionaire corporations are
the dominant factor in this railway
problem and they cannot be left out OF
the calculation. They acquire their
wealth from the other two factors OF
tho problem-from the laboring men
who operate the roads, and from the
farmers and the general public who
bear the financial burdens OF the
fraudulent capitalization, the enorm-
GUS official salaries, and all the expen-
ses of operating the roads. The cor
porations crowd their employees down
down into the lowest possible wages
and work them the longest possible
hours on the one hand; on the other
they change the patrons of the roads
"all the traffic will bear!" They act
ON the robbers rule when he sets out
to get rich by his calling. From the
laboring men they require all that
flesh and blood can stand land more)
ut the lowest living Tor starving)
wagesl AS to the public, they "leyy
tribute at will on all our vast indus
tries" regardless Of the financial en-
barrassments. losses Of homes or the
means of life by the individuals who
compose the public!
Now the question occurs about this
way: Suppose the farmers and the
general public, on one side, unite for
mutual self protection against the cor
porate barons who operate the roads
for the millions and billions they make
at the business. Suppose that we re-
quire that working men be paid better
wages and have shorter hours for
days work, so that there may be more
men employed with more money to
spend in the channels of business.
That will mean better prices for farm
products and more prosperity in every
line Of business.
Ulava .II - A l. 4