The Tucson citizen., 1902-12-03

and steel products, for which the de-
mands ard enormous. These would
readily beas en- increase of 40 cents per
ton in freight rates, which under pres
ent conditions would probably call forth
not even a protest from the manufaCt-
urers.
This is serious proposition to the
business world and especially to that
part of it in the interior that is chiefly
dependent on railroad transportation.
And the Justice of such an increase is
not at all apparent. The railroads have
been prosperous under present rates.
The reported earnings show it. The
statistics of Poors Manual, a standard
authority, show that in the fiscal years
ending in 1901 the railroads in the
United States, while exhibiting an in
crease of about $l74, 1000, 900 in their ag-
gregate stock capitalization, showed an
increase of 81, ,276, 900, ,000in their bonded
debt.
It was because of this prosperity"
that the men wanted an increase of
wages, for most of the voluntary" in
creases have really been made in re-
sponse to demands of employees. The
various railway mems organizations
have moved separately, and to some ex-
tent in unison, for readjustment of wage
agreements, with such increases as they
contend are reasonable, and railway
managers have been meeting the de-
mands as they came before them and
endeavoring to do them justice. Most
of the roads are operating under written
agreements with their men for definite
periods, and questions of readjustment
are constantly arising, both sides, as
rule, scrupu1ously respecting their con-
tracts. In numerous cases advances
have already been made, although ex-
cessiye demands have often been met by
compromise. There is no doubt that
general advance in wages was wanted,
and the leaders in the movement have
not failed to do some figuring as to the
effect which material increase in the
payroll Of million men would have
upon the ability OF the railways to main
tain their present forces and to make
reasonable returns on Investments, and
the labor unions have kept that matter
in view.
But more serious consideration is
the fact that the real loss of railroad in
come is from cutting esta blished rates
and not because the rates are too low.
If the trusts and other favored shippers
paid full rates, as they ought to do,
there would not be even the pretense OF
an excuse for increasing rates on gen
eral shippers, who are already bearing
an unjust and onerous burden. AS
things are now moving the tax on the
ordinary business man, who pays fun
rates, is becoming intolerable, and un-
less something is done soon to stop dis
elimination it will mean ruin to thou
sands of business men and continued
robbery of the consumer.
Increases of wages and the establish
ment OF pension systems mean that the
people will be called upon to pay the
bills. The people are already paying
$50, ZOO, 900 annually in pensions to old
soldiers, and if they are called upon to
bear the burden of pensions to railroad
employees, there is no knowing where
their burden will end The we'll organ
lied Grand Army of the Republic has
been able to keep up the governments
pension system beyond all reason and
justice, and when the railroad pension
lied railroad employees will be as potent
as the Grand Army in compelling the
public to bear the burden. Where are
we going to stop?