The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1903-05-08
WILL THE GREAT NORTHERN
Trainmen Prevent a Reduction In
Freiuht Rates?

49, ASO "AN 49,
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-
ElOyes, or whether they desire the
grand officers OF the Order of Railway
Conductors to order d strike if the
Great Northern persists in it's refusal
to either abolish Gnuble-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 u dOulle-header schedule where II
means very much to the companies own
lng them. IN the Santa Re, which Is
probably the greatest double-header
system in the country, a basis of settle
Northern Pacific, which uses by Ear more
loublc-Ae1Cc. trains than thc l.-"
Northern, the company and the employees
"One Of The things urged by the Yves
erN association Of general chairmen last
June at Kansas City was a an ip',I
l5r,omtnt on all roads west OF Chicago,
coVo-it s his matter, for it had be
i. ged ly the management of son" 70 ~
hat they could not afford to make the
Concessions Wa,n competing ro..s So.
not required to live up to a similar agree
m TT. 1t is to perfect a system of un.-
toTmity that We are trying 10 brinG about
L general agreement OF the roads cover
!ng the p.iujs at issue. Ii is not = 1--we
ssue on the Great Northern, it is true,
but in IA rless to members OF our
brotherhood on other lines, where it is
very much a live issue, We are en7eavor-
Ing to bring about an agreement with the
companies"
1t would seem from the above that
the Great NOrthern's employees really
have no grievance, but are trying to
force the Great Northern to yield a
principle that will not benefit the nen
on the Great Northern, but Will bolster
up the interested Orders on other
roads.
1t is lot exactly clear why the line
was drawn at Chicago and the demand
was confined to roads west of that city.
III 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 &C
complished it by the decision recently
given in the Northern Securities case.
II the trainmer accomplish their
avowed object they are to a 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
CoI loo5IDiC NOSl, uuS 1tSdIu D6lUS
had, Of course, to the payment CT 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 thatscalet the Great Northern in
the interest Of the people of this state,
should not go, because every cent it
pay out over a reasonable wage
zones 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 it's.
property. When it's 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,
1t reduced it's rates or 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 it's fiscal ear ended
June 80, 1902, hauled about 73, 900 900
bushels Of wheat. If the rates on
wheat were reduced a half a cent per
hundred pounds it would amount to
s21S,000, and every farmer who ship
ped 5000 bushels OF wheat would save
SIS. The farmers are more interested
in getting that SIS, or a reduction in
the rate on wheat that will save them
that amount, than they are in bolster
ing up the settlements trainmen may
lave made with he Santa Fe and other
roads in the West. It makes no differ
pDpo RI uc what n opctc tbo Cop+o To