The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1904-06-17
REDUCTION RAILROAD FORCES
WITHIN PAST rye MONTHS $4,000 EEE
Tn5WH our OF WORK.
RedustiOn Said 20 BE Due 20 Decline I'm
Business Brought About by Strikes
in Colorado and BIiehiga1-In-
crease in Wages, Some Say Is
the Cause.

The spectacle of rs, 900 railroad men
being thrown out Of work within the
past two months IS the subject of
earnest discussion IN many Of the papers
The great reduction is said to be due to
the decline IN business. Since March 1,
according to one railroad official. the
net earnings Of the railroads have de-
creased more than 10 per cent, which
means that "Our railroads are running
behind last years earnings at the rate
of nearly SIS, OOO, 900 a year" While
the earnings have thus been falling of +,
running expenses have not decreased,
and to meet this situation several lines
have been compelled TO lay OF large
numbers of employees and others have
curtailed improvements A large part
of the present trouble is said to be due
to the strikes Of the miners and ore
handlers in Colorado and Michigan, the
lake vessel masters and pilots, and
freight handlers in the east. Then too,
the high cost Of labor is held by some
to be responsible, in part, for the
present situation, and railroad managers
even declare that wages must be re-
duced within a short time.
1T is ratheThard on the 5000 rail
road men," says an eastern paper,
who are willing and anxious to work,
and who, without i'll conduct on their
part, are thrown out of employment.
Do you wonder that these men through
their unions try to get reasonable pay,
while work is TO be had?''
James J. Hill. president of the North
ern Pacific and the Great Northern
railroads, says that the fundamental
reason for the present business contrac-
tiOns is a failure to find a market for
the great products of the United States.
He says in an interview with the New
York Herald:
General business is contracting. 1t
was first apparent and is now most
evident in manufacturing enterprises.
The railroads are public carriers, and
if the public has nothing to carry the
railroads can do no business. As traf-
fc decreases, railroad gross earnings
must shrink unless rates are raised. IN
the present instance traffic has de-
creased, but rates have remained
stationary.
The necessary cOrollary Of such a
is a reduction of the work
ing forces. As the demand for carry
ing freight or passengers diminishes,
the demand for employees diminishes.
The railroads are dropping men simply
because there is not work enough for
all.
THE whole question falls back Pri-l
marily upon decreasing business and
the reason for it. Why are railroads
carrying less freight than one or two
years ago? Because the demand for
the products of the United States is not
with the supply"
Coming down to local conditions as
they exist in the Rock Island works in
GOodland, It seems certain that traffic
has either fallen of to a great extent OF
that the company, wishing to reduce
expenses or to influence the labor mar
ket, is doing business with less help
than formerly. About three weeks ago
no less than fifty men were laid of on
this division. 1t hardly seems reason
able that so many should be put on the