The Washington herald., 1906-12-17
Exhaustion Assignedas Cause
of Business Congestion.
MENACES ENTIRE COUNTRY
Senator Hansbrough and Chairman
Knapp, of Interstate Commerce
Commission, Believe Reason for
Car Shortage, Wrecks, and Other
Evils is to BE Found in OVerwOrk.

/ on the part OF officers and men. is one
Of the causes for the serious congestion
along the highways of commerce, &C
| cording TO students of the transportation
problem that is embodied in the inability
Of the railroads to supply cars in sufh-
/ cient numbers to carry the necessities Of
life. Railway wrecks. in many instances,
are also declared TO be the direct result
OF placing too much responsibility. or as
signing too much work to a single set of
| officers or men or TO individuals.
! As far as the railroads are concerned
/ the assertion is made in an official quar-
ter that their failure to furnish ample IA
! cilities for the carriage Of merchandise
is caused by a lack of labor. As they are
unable to get an adequate supply OF Ia
Dor those already employed are pushed
! 10 the utmost.
I'VE are working too hard, too rapidly,
and too long, each day" said Senator
Henry c. Hansbrough of North Dakota,
/ who was instrumental in inducing the IN
! terstate Commerce Commission 10 insti-
/ tute an inquiry into the causes of the
/ car famine. This evil is not peculiar
/ to the railroad world alone. It extends
/ into nearly every line of American bust
ness life. The pace is swift. We must let
up. or nervous prostration will become
distinctly an American maIady."
Applies to Whole Country.
Martin W. Knapp. chairman Of the In
| terstate Commerce Commission. asserted
that the whole country, in the individual
! case. as in the corporate case. was in
state Of congestion.
! When shown the observations Of Sena-
tor Hansbrough and Chairman Knapp.
! Charles P. Neil. United States Commits
| sioner of Labor, last night said: These
/ suggestions open up a very interesting
/ field for investigation. in which I think it
would be well worth while to make a
/ careful study"
/ It was Senator Hansbrough who first
/ brought to the attention of the Inter
state Commerce Commission in a formal
way the conditions arising in the North
/ cars.
When the car shortage is over" he
said, 1T will be found that one Of the
/ chief causes Of the trouble is that the
/ people responsible for the operations Of
! the railroads Of the country. from presi-
dents to switchmen, are simply over
worked This is evidenced by the fact
| that in the Northwest all the available
/ side trackage is blocked with rolling
stock, where trainmen have been obliged
/ to shunt it off in order that the main
/ lines might be kept open for such traffic
as the railroads are able TO handle.
Cannot Get Help.
Railway managers find it extremely
difficult to obtain the additional help that
/ is necessary for their increased business
/ Those already employed on the road
/ have reached the condition, through over
work. where there no longer exists the
ambition and incentive that should exist.
! The nervous tension has almost reached
/ the limit This condition of affairs is
not alone peculiar to the operation Of
railroads. It exists in almost every ave-
nue. of labor We find it in Washington,
! in the executive departments. in and
about the Senate, and in and about the
I House. We find it in a marked degree
at the White House"
/ Senator Hansbrough declared that the
/ government employees were overworked,
/ owing to the need for larger forces OF
/ employees.
/ The Civil Service Commission is failing
! 10 supply the necessary number Of people
/ to keep the wheels Of government NOV
/ ing" he said. only last winter We We're
/ obliged. in passing a law creating a new
/ bureau. To waive the requirements of the
/ civil service laws in making appointments
/ to such bureau. 1t will be necessary, !
have no doubt, to do the same with
/ respect TO other bureaus.
Railroads, Task Not Easy.
so far as the government service is
concerned the difficulty can be overcome.
but with respect to the railway service
| the task will not be so easy. Railway
managers themselves, and those officers
who are drawing large salaries. will be
obliged in the future to give closer per
sonal attention to their business. It is
no longer a question OF dividends with
the railroads; 1t is a question of salts
4 factory service, and it is a matter IN
which the whole body of the people at
large is interested"
The whole country is in a state of
more or less congestion, in the indi-
viduaI case as in the organized or cor
POrate case" said Chairman Knapp
There is a condition of ineficiency, re-
sulting from demands which exceed pres