Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1903-05-07
WILL the GREAT NORTHERN
Trainmen Prevent a Reduction in
Freight Rates?

Freight Rates?
The st. Cloud Journal Press of April
~ contains an interview with r. S.
Lands, a Great Northern conductor,
who is polling the conductors of the
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 a strike if the
Great Northern persists in it's 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:
"On other lines the employees have been
given Il double-hcader schedule where it
means very much to the companies own
p ng ahf t Ge the re samta Fe Which is
ment has been effected. and on the
Nor l Pacific, which uses by far more
uoublc-header trains than the Great
Northern. the company and the employees
have agreed.
"one of the things urged Ivy the West
ern association of general chairmen last
agreement on all roads west of Chicago,
covering this matter. for it had been
urged by the management of some roads
that they could not afford to make the
not required to live up to a similar hgree-
meht 1T is to perfect system of uni
Iormlty that We are trying to bring about
general agreement of the roads cover
issue on the Great Northern. it is true,
but in fairness to members of our
brotherhood on other lines. where it is
very much live issue. We are endeavor-
| lnE 10 Drlng about an agreement with tho
| companies"
1t would seem from the above that
the Great Northerns employees really
have no grievance, but are trying to
force the Great Northern to yield
principle that will not benefit the men
on the Great Northern. but will 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.
If double-headers are an Objectionable
feature west of Chicago, it would seem
that they would be equally objection
able 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 a certain ex-
tent a restraint of competition. The
State of Minnesota and the 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 it 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
han 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 it's 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 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
| aust be reduced.
The Great Northern has heretofore
recognized that, for in January, 1902,
it reduced it's 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 tie rates on grain and grain
products from stations in Minnesota
and the Dakotas to it's 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 fiscal year ended
June 80, 1902, hauled about 73.000,O0O
bushels of wheat. If the rates on
wheat were reduced half cent per
hundred pounds it would amount to
$3.50 and every farmer who ship
ned 5000 bushels of wheat would save
s15. The farmers are more interested
in getting that SIS. or reduction in
hos