The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-01-24
RATIONAL CAPITAL LETTER
Matters Foremost Ia the Minds of
The Country's Representatives.

the northwest. North Dakota Is the
worst sufferer, and Senator Hans
borough has been in receipt Of a score
Of messages showing that the situation
there is about as bad as it could be in
civilized country. Towns with as many
as $500 inhabitants report that they
are without pound of coal, and beg
for immediate relief. In other places
there are coal supplies for periods of
not mere than week or a fortnight,
many Of the towns having had orders
for coal placed in Minneapolis for three
months past. They have not been able
to get it transported by the railroads.
But the worst situation Senator Hans
borough says is likely to reveal itself
next spring in the outlying districts
where there are $1,000 settlers off the
line of the railroads, of whom nothing
has been heard andnothing can be heard
until the weather moderates. 1t is al
ways Geld in this country in winter
time, and this year in addition to having
the thermometer from 10 to SO degrees
below zero there have been unusual
SHOWS, so that the homestead settlers
off the line of the railroad are complete
lY cut off from communication with the
towns. Most Of these people are living
in little frame and tar-papered houses,
halding down their homesteads in ac-
cordance with law, and it is feared that
there may be sad story to tell of suf-
fering and death among them before
the weather moderates sufficiently to
send them relief.
The troubles laid largely at the doors
of the railways. Both the Great North
ern and 500 Lines, which serve the af-
tiicted territory, devoted all their ener-
gies last summer and fall to track lay
ing in the new territory. They trans
ported equipment with utter disregard
. for services to the communities belong
ing to distant lines, and the result has
been that the settlers have been unable
to either get their produce in market,
Or to provide themselves with sufficient
food and fuel against the deadly north
ern winter.
These are not pleasant days for the
railroads. Almost yone in authority
seems to unite in making it unpleasant
for them and in addition to the passage
rate bill and other adverse" railway
legislation, they are apt to face a world
of condemnation in the car shortage and
block signal reports soon to be rendered
against them by the Interstate Com
merce Commission. Eight employees of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railway, includ-
ing three of the higher officials, have
just been held by the grand jury as a
result Of the notable wreck at Terra
Gotta, near Washington The officials
in question were allowed to go free
pending the settlement of their bail,
but the trainmen having fewer friends,
were incontinently locked up. Repre-
sentative Murphy Of Missouri has al
ready introduced resolution into the
House inquiring why this favorism was
shown, and it is probable that the Dis
trict Attorney will have much explain
ing to do before he makes this act of
favorism appear in favorable light.
Along with the other matters that are
likely TO receive attention in the report
on the inadequacy of the block signal
system is the pay of the men and boys
employed by the railroads as block sig
nal telegraph operators. It has already
been made clear in the investigation
that these men are over crowded with
work, and receive such miserable pay
that none but the lowest grade of tele-
graph operators can be found in the
railway service. There are in fact three
distinct classes of telegraphers. The
railway operators, the operators in the
employ of the commercial companies,
and press operators employed by the
newspapers and the big press associa-
tons. 1t might appear to the outsider
that the railroad telegraphers, having
so much responsibility, would be the
highest class Of men. AS matter of
fact they are the lowest Their wages
run from $50 a month to $55 or $50, and
most Of them are boys just learning the
business. If they prove to be good op-
orators they graduate from railway
work into the commercial service and
the exceptionally good men are picked
from this to man the newspaper wires.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
intends to devote one section of It's re-
port to this subject and will recommend
stiff Geographic examination such as
will effectually debar boys and tyros
from the railway service.
1t is understood that a new treaty
with Santo Domingo will be presented
to Congress before the close of the
present session, and the chances are
that it will pass. This government has
made a decided record since it began
administering the finances Of the tur-
bulent little republic, and has accumu-
lated balance Of over 81, 600, 900 from