Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-05-07
WILL THE GREAT NORTHERN
Trainmen Prevent a Reduction In
Freight Rates?


Fergus division of that road to see
whether they will accept the new scale
of wages offered by the Great North
ern, and which is somewhat in excess
of the rates demanded by the en-
ployes, or whether they desire the
grand officers of the Order of Railway
Conductors TO order strike If the
Great Northern persists in its refusal
to either abolish double-header trains
or allow train crews double pay while
riding on trains hauled by two en-
gines.
This interview puts the question in
a new light, Mr.. Lands says:
ION other lines the employees have been
given a double-header schedule whore IL
means very much TO the companies own
probably the greatest double-header
system in the country, basis of settle
nent has been enected, and on ne
Northern Pacific, which uses by Ear more
iouble-heaCe. trains than the &c
Northern. the company and the employees
have agreed.
"One OF the things urged ny the Yves.
arn association Of general chairmen last
June at Kansas City was a unfD- n
grSement on all roads west OF Chicago,
eoveIirg this matter. for IL had o,e1
urged. by the management OF some ROADS
that they could not afford TO make the
concessions when competing rpaAs wrso
not required to live up TO a similar agree
ment. 1t is to perfect 4 system OF uni
formity that we are trying to brin5 about
4 general agreement OF the roads cover
Ing the paints at issue. Ii is no; liv.
ssue on the Great Northern, it Is true.
but in fairness TO members or our
Brotherhood on other lines, where It IL
very much a live issue, we are endeayor-
ing to bring about an agreement with the
companies
1t would seem from the above that
the Great Northern's employees really
have nc grievance, but are trying to
force the Great Northern to yield a
principle that will not benefit the men
on the Great Northern, but viii bolster
up the interested Orders on other
roads
1t is not exactly clear why the line
was drawn at Chicago and the demand
was confined to roads west of that city.
II douhle-headers are an Objectionable
feature west of Chicago, it would seem
that they would be equally objection
a0le east, and, as far as we know. no
road east of Chicago has yielded the
principle Of how many engines should
haul a freight train. Neither do we
see why double-headers are objection
able on freight trains but not on pas
| senger trains.
There is another feature about this
that is worth consideration. Ii all
roads are put on the same basis as to
expense, there will be to certain ex-
tent restraint of competition. The
State Of Minnesota and tae United
States government have both gone to
considerable expense to insure COM
petition between the Great Northern
| and the Northern Pacific companies by
knocking out the merger, and have ac-
complished 1t by the decision recently
given in the Northern Securities case.
If the trainmen accomplish their
avowed object they are to certain ex-
tent going to nullify the effect of that
decision by making it impossible for
one road to haul freight at lower cost
than another
1t is for the interest OF the people of
Minnesota that each road in the state
should conduct its business at the low
est possible cost, due regard being
had, Of course, to the payment Of a
reasonable and proper scale of wages
to all employees. In this case there is
no question as to wages. The sched-
ule offered by the Great Northern is
in excess of the demand of its en-
ployes and is admittedly as high as is
paid on any other road in the country.
Beyond thatscale the Great Northern in
the interest of the people of this state,
should not go, because every cent it
pays out over a reasonable wage
comes out of the pockets of it's patrons
and prevents a reduction of freight
rates.
The courts have held that a railway
company Is entitled to earn a reason
able rate OF interest on the cost Of its
property. When its earnings are in
| excess of that, and the necessary
amount for keeping up and improving
the facilities, the earnings from traffic
must be reduced.
The Great Northern has heretofore
recognized that, for in January, 1902,
| II reduced its rates on all classes of
merchandise between stations in Min
nesota and the Dakotas an average of
Is per cent and in August, 1902, re-
duced the rates on grain and grain
| products from stations In Minnesota
and the Dakotas to its eastern ter
minals an average of about 10 per
| cent.
The report Of the railroad and ware
house commission of this state, re-
Gently issued, shows that the Great
Northern, during its flscal year ended
June 80, 1902, hauled about 70 600, 900
| bushels of wheat. If the rates on
wheat were reduced half cent per
hundred pounds II would amount to
| $21S,000, and every farmer who ship
ped 5000 bushels of wheat would save
| SIS. The farmers are more interested
in getting that SIS. or reduction In
( the rate on wheat that will save them
that amount, than they are in bolster
Ing up the settlements trainmen may
have made with he Santa Fe and other
roads'in the West. Il makes no differ
L "a Il. O.