The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-25
6EPEW TO RAILROAD MEN.
DISTINGUISHED oRAToR PRESENTS
IMPORTANT VIEWS.

Large Hall In Chicago Filled with
Railroad Men-IndiViduaI Owner
ship of Railroads Has Disappear
ed-LeGiSIatiOn should he Guard
ed-POOIing Agreements All Right
with Proper Restrictions Around
Them.
Chicago Feb. 24.-Th large armory Of
the First Infantry was filed to the doors
by an audience composed of members of
the Congress of Railway Employees 10
hear the address by senator-eleot Chaun-
cey NJ. Depew OF New York tonight. The
speech was 70 railroad men only, and as
a consequence was somewhat of a techni-
cal nature
After a short review of the rise, develop
ment and present position of the railways
the great carriers of the world-he CON
tinued:
The great change in the railways Of
to-day and of the creative and settling
periods is that individual ownership has
disappeared There is no railway system,
in the country one-quarter of whose stock
Is owned by any one interest. ANY man,
agement which treats ali les stockholders
alike, which is free from rings or inside
arrangements of any kind by which few
get rich at the expense of the rest will
be continued by the stockholders in Of
flee as long as the returns are satisfac,
tory. That anagement must DC some.
thing more, however, TO remain in power
than have simply satisfactory returns. It
must satisfy the pubhct and It must have
from its employees that efficient and
healthy service which comes only from
their satisfaction with their employment
and devotion to it's interests When | first
entered the service of the New York Gem
rai Railroad the vast majority of it's
stock was owned by one man, and the
balance by few hundred others Now
there Is constituency of about 150 600;
now its stock and that of the other SOL
vent railroads is owned by people of mod
crate means and by savings banks and
by life insurance companies, whose invest
ments represent the hard-earned savings
of the working people.
Railroad Legislation.
Legislation on railway matters has be-
come not only of great moment to the
stockholders but of much greater to the
employees. When unwise laws injuriously
affect the operations of a railroad line the
manager at once calls together the mem
bers of all the departments He says
Under the operations of this law our earn
ings have been cut down-so much. That
Will prevent our paying dividends, or If
the road Is not paying dividends, That
Will prevent our meeting the interest on
our bonds and our company will go into
the hands of receiver. Now our ofl-
cial lives are at stake If the stockho.d-
ers are dissatisfied the directors will turn
us out; If the road goes into the hands
~ a
pointed by the court, and he will turn
US all out Where can we cut down ex-
penses to meet this loss of net earnings?'
The only elastic thing left is labor A
practical and horrible lesson was given in
1894, when 100000 men were dropped off
the payrolls. That meant an incalculable
amount Of misery. Railway employment
is special vocation. The conductor, the
locomotive engineer, the fireman, the
brakeman and the switehman cannot read
lily adapt themselves to anything but
what is known as common labor, and for
that they are not fitted
Now, legislators and pubic men do not
mean to do injustice except few demo-
gogues. The rest are honest minded to
do what is right. In states where the
railway prejudice exists they expect a
railroad president. or the railroad mana
ger to be INSCRIPTIONS, and place little
confidence in his statements, but a com
mittee of the employees. intelligently I'M
derstanding the question would be listen
ed TO at once. They would be listened
to especially if the politicians knew II
these active, intelligent and efficient work
ers, as all railroad men are, in the politi-
cal parties in their several districts meant
business; that they proposed to take the
same care of their interests that other
Aaoor unions do of their interests; that
farmers do OF their interests; that bankers
do of their interests that manufacturers
do of their interests. 1t is here where
your lead will be OF incaIculable benefit TO
the members Of every department of the
railway service.
As to Pooling Agreements.
you asked me in your letter 90 saw
something about contracts between rail
way companies known as pooling con-
tracts. / believe that the right of rail-
way companies to form associations and
TO enter into pooling contracts should be
granted, but only under the supervision
OF the Interstate Commerce Commission.
l believe in strengthening that commig-
sion. increasing its powers and adding to
its dignity because of the character OF
the men upon it and the subjects with
which II deals. The commission should
stand next in the confidence to the peo-
pie to the Supreme Court Of the United
states. committee of Congress attempt
ing to deal with the questions of tariffs.
for instance, a question which reouires
as much expert knowledge and long train
ing as to be a professor of mathematics
in the best college OF the country. are
wholly at sea. They cannot Judge how far
a rate from Chicago to New York is De.
pendent upon a rate from Kansas civ TO
New Orleans, or Galveston, or from ST
Louis to Baltimore, or from the North
west through Montreal to Liverpool. Bur
the Interstate Commerce Commission
would be competent to decide, having only
this business and being in constant SEES
sion. Give them absolute power over auv
pooling contract and then this vexed cues