The independent., 1903-03-19

ms said Colonel Monroe, soothingly.
Flanagan is only rough working
man, without your delicate sensibii1-
ties, and hasn't had your educational
advantages. Then again the loss OF
two or three fingers may tend to make
him irritable and to bias his judgment.
But you haven't told all the news
about the railroad. They have in
creased something besides wages"
"You refer to the new freight rate
schedule, presume" observed Judge
Sawyer. II heard of it yesterday"
"The M. N. & w. has raised freight
rates an average of 10 per cent" re-
sponded the colonel. What do you
think of that. Jenkins. Perhaps that
accounts for Flannagan's good luck,
which he SO little appreciates.
'1t's no money out of my pocket"
returned Jenkins. doggedly. Il don't
ship any stuff. Besides 10 per cent
ISM; mitch OF al increase in rates. Il
will hardly be felt. Don't you think
SO, judge?"
Judge Sawyer was deep in the study
of the blue flames through the ISM
glass anu mace no reply.
Lets see how Lineolnville comes
out on these higher salaries and high
er freight rates." suggested Colonel
Monroe, reaching for block of paper
and pencil. This is division point
and more than the average number OF
railroad men live here. There are
hundreds of towns in the state without
railroad employe as resident. We
have forty of them. Well average
their former wages at SIS month, or
| $500 a year. The forty of them have
therefore been receiving $4,000 year.
The 10 per cent increase adds $3,600
| to their incomes. This Is the rail-
roads contribution to Lincolnville.
This money will be spent on our
stores and some of it be deposited in
Judge Sawyers bank. Flanagan gets
$72 of it. That will pay his rent for
six months. He is one of the winners.
Now the question is, How does the
railroad come out? How much freight
business did the M. N. and w. do in
Lincolnville last year? Do you know
the approximate figure, judge?' Judge
Sawyer consulted notebook and at.
| ter pause said:
"The years freight business OF thu
M. N. &c w. in Lincolnville was about
$160,000, Colonel Monroe"
"Very WE'LL" continued the colonel
jotting down the figures. That il
the amount, Jenkins, that the town o
Lincolnville paid the M. N. and w
for bringing to us our groceries
meats, furniture, pianos, lumber AM
the thousand and one things We pur
chase from our merchants or consum
as raw material in our factories. Thi
year the company is going to pa
Flanagan and his fellow workers So,
600 increase in wages and charge tn
I merchants and manufacturers of Lin
colnville $4,000 extra for freigh
bills. What have you to say to that?
!, 1T don't make any difference t
me- asserted Postmaster jenkins. 8
only wish | was a stOckholder in tn
road. It's their property and the
have right to charge anything the
please. The same people that are al
ways kicking about railroads and 9th
er corporations would do the sam
thing if they were railroads and col
porations I don't own nothing my
> self, except a house with a mortgas
on it, but I stand up for propert
!. rights and vested interests. They hav
made the country what it is. Whs
would Lincolnville be if it wasn't fC
the M. N. and w. railroad? Nothing
Nothing"
Nnen the colonel points out thu
the merchants will add that $4,000
= the price of their goods and M
. Jenkins share of it will be about IS
? the postmaster suddenly changes tt
- subject. -E ...-.
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