Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-02
MOHLER PAINTS DARK VIEW
Union Pacific General Manager says Rail
roads Must Retrench on Expenses.
ALL BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE wAKlNs UP
Corporations Join i'm Chorus OF
Hard Time Predictions -as Re-
sult of Cut Rates and
49, Equalization of Taxes.

A. l. Mohler, vice president and gen.
eral manager of the Union Pacific, re-
turned, Friday from Chicago, where for
the last five weeks he he's been attending
conference between the railroad man
ayers OF western railroads and committees
representing the different trainmen's or
ganizations Mr.. Mohler looks hale and
well, fully recovered from his attack of
pneumonia which confined him to his hotel
for some time
1.-The tendency of roads IN the west from
this time on must be to . retrench," said
Mr. Mohler. There is no other course left
for them to pursue.
THE chairman OF the managers COM
mlttee, l. G. Rawn OF the Illinois Central,
gave out statement of the facts and has
said the managers went even SO far as to
offer concessions to the men who would
be oppressive to some Of the roads. Many
of the roads have been making advances
in the pay of the men for some time with
out making the-fact public. / fear some
roads will be put in the hands of receivers,
which will undoubtedly mean panic.
As an example, there is one western road
which had 100000 increase in the gross
earnings for January, white the net in
crease was but 100000. The roads must
retrench.
THE conference with the conductors and
hrakemen was conducted in a most con-
genial manner and the managers offered
| all the advance they thought they could
I possibly afford in view OF the 70 and is per
1 cent advance made in 1908.
1.-The managers have offered to submit
this question I arbitration. With a gen.
eral increase IN rates of pay. a marked
' ..rltk
legislation, both stste and interstate, Il
reduce revenues, there can be only one
result. No one will believe this statement
when he desires to believe otherwise oil
when his interests are otherwise; therefore
l do not ask anyone to believer the only
request is to remember"
Mr. Mohler said he would have the site
for the new headquarters building cleared
at once.
| Thinking of New Rate Law.
Railroads are busy determining what the,
win do in the matter OF rates when this
new law goes into effect The passage o.
the 2-cent bill by the Nebraska Legislature
with the emergency clause will make the
bill law within three days after tn,
governor signs It. The railroads claim
they cannot possibly fix their tariffs so tn,
dEciAAr Gau Sell tlChCNs III iCSS Aihi
thirty days, so the passenger department.
and the legal departments are busy trying
to solve the problem.
While the Nebraska law fixes the rate
/ within the state, 1t is said that will hav
no effect on the interstate business un
less the railroads 80 desire. For instance
the rate TO Denver Is about S16 while OF
a mileage basis under the Scent law IN
rate will be reduced TO s12.7b The rail
roads claim they do not have 20 max
this reduction because Of the cut In tn
rate within the state OF Nebraska. The.
also say they would not be permitted &
make the change OF interstate rates witht
thirty days II they so desired, because o
the interstate law, which compels thirt
days notice before a change OF lnterstat
rates Is made.
The report came from Chicago throug
the Associated Press that the railroad
would fight the measure In all states whic
would pass a. 2-cent maximum passenge
rate bill. Local passenger men said the
had heard nothing OF this and were maxim
preparations for the new law.