The Ladysmith news and Ingram news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1905-1906, 1905-11-18
OPPOSE RATE LAW SCHEl
FEAR REDUCTION IN RAT
WOULD RESULT IN DE-
CREASED WAGES.
TOLD THEY'RE ON WRONG TAt
PRESIDENT TELLS THEM THE
MISUNDERSTAND THE SIT
UATION.

Washington, Nov. Is. - An earn
| protest was made to the president y
terday against proposed freight r
legislation. The protest was filed
representative OF the five great lai
organizations connected with railro
ing--engineers, tiremen, conducto
switchmen and trainmen. The me
bers of the delegation which called
the president represented the sever
organizations They pointed out
him that railroad rate legislatit
logically meant the lowering of rate
This, they contended, will be followe
by a lessening of the earning power
railroads, and consequently by redu
ton eventually of the wages of raj
road employees.
Came From Twelve States.
The members of the delegatio
from twelve different states and rep
resented all the larger systems of rail
roads.
George Huntley of the conductors
organization presented to the presi
dent a statement of the character Of
the organizations represented and as
sured him that no faint of partisan
ship or political coloring existed IN
any degree among the members OF
the delegation.
Mr.. Huntley's statement called at
tention to the fact that the various or
CARNATIONS of railroad employees with
a total membership of over a million
and a quarter had adopted resolutions
against a reduction in railroad rates
It pointed out that railroad rates had
steadily decreased in the past ten
years and that the railroad companies
had granted substantial wage conces-
siOns to their employees and also amel-
iorated labor conditions.
OUGHT TO Go Slow.
No national legislation should be
adopted that would tend in any de-
gree to interfere or interrupt the pres
ent or future prosperity of the rail-
way employees in this country.
Mr. Huntley said:
zone million and a quarter railway
employees have noted with concern
the tendency of federal legislation on
railroad rates. AS there appeared no
hint that no general rise in rates is
contemplated, we are forced to believe
that the other alternative must fol
low, and a general reduction in the
earning power of our railroad lines
would result"
The speaker declared with emphasis
that railroad employees were satisfied
that any legislation tending to reduce
the earning capacity of railroad lines
will. in the same measure, interfere
with the prosperity and general salts
factory conditions of the railway en-
ployes.
Who Would Be Benefited?
The speaker then asked who would
be benefited by the proposed railway
rate legislation. He declared that the
farmers would not benefit by an in
creased price for his product, and 1t
was doubtful if the consumer would
receive any marked benefit. He said
there had been a steady decrease in
railway rates for many years, and In
spite of this reduction the consumers
of the country were paying more for
their bread and meat now than when
the rate was twice as much per ton
as now.
President Says They Are Wrong.
In response President Roosevelt as
sured the delegation that it was not
his purpose or the purpose of those
who favored railroad rate legislation
to do anything that might injure the
railroads of the country, or, incidental
ly, the employees Of the railroads. He
said that it was his purpose that all
classes-railroads shippers and en-
ployes-should have perfectly fair
treatment. He was of the opinion that
the proposed legislation would not
mean a reduction necessarily in rates
and suggested that the members OF
the delegation, therefore, were pro-
ceeding on a wrong understanding of
the situation.