The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-05-07
WILL THE GREAT NORTHERN
Trslnmen Prevent a Reduction In
Freight Rates7

whether they will accept the new scale
of wages offered by the Great North
erns 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 ii 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. MIR. Lands says:
"On other lines the employees have been
given a GOuble-header schedule where II
means very much TO the companies own
ng them. On the Santa Fe, which is
probably the greatest double header
system in the country, basis Of settle
ment has been Effected. and on tna
Northern Pacific, which uses by far more
loublJ-heaGC' trains than the &c
Northern, the company and the employees
nave agreed.
zone of the things urged by the Yves.
arn association Of general chairmen last
June at Kansas City was 4a!fa--1
4sreemCnt on all roads west OF Chicago
=
urged ~ the management Of soynt roA'f
mat they could not AFFORD TO make the
concessions when competing TO0.s N,.r
not required to live up TO a similar agree
msnt IL is 10 perfect system Of uni
tormity that We are trying to bring about
general agreement Of the roads cover
ing the points at issue. IL Is not = I've
ssue on the Great Northern, Il Is true
Brotherhood on other lines, where Il is
very much a 1--we issue, we are en5eavor-
Ing to bring about an agreement with tho
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 men
on the Great Northern, but Will bolster
up the interested orders on other
roads.
II is not exactly clear why the line
was drawn at Chicago and the demand
was confined to roads west of that city.
II double-headers are an objectionable
feature west of Chicago. it would seem
that they would be equally objection
abs 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. IL 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 ii by the decision recently
given in the Northern Securities case.
II the trainmen accomplish their
ayowed 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 SEIZED
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 IL
pays out over a reasonable wage
comes out of the pockets OF its patrons
and prevents reduction of freight
rates.
The courts have held that 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,
It 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 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 70 900 900
bushels of wheat. If the rates on
wheat were reduced half cent per
hundred pounds II 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 rhe settlements trainmen may
lave made with he Santa Fe and other
roads in the West II makes no differ
ence to us what II costs the Santa Fe
to do business. What we are interest
ed in is what IL costs 20 90 business
on roads within the State of Mime
+ Nta, and IL that cost can reasonably
be reduced. or II anything reasonable
e IL,