The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-02-26
RAILROAD PRESIDENT DEPLoRES
SENTIMENT AGAINST THE
NATIONS ROADS.
A UNIVERSAL DISASTER
Apt to Follow Present State Of A.
fairs-Conditon Exaggerated
Resulting in Unreasonable
Prejudice, He Says.

New York, Feb. 20. A campaign
of agitation against railroads having
It's origin in high executive authorit,
Is being waged throughout the coun
try, AS il passes down the line each
subordinate and each state and loca
authority strives to surpass his super
| ior in Ii al and increases its violence
said William H. Truesdale, president
of the Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western Railroad Company. today.
Railroads are the greatest factor IN
the upbuilding Of the nation. They
the foundation of orr commercial
prosperity. They are to be no longer
private corporations. but part of the
public service. This is the theory on
which the interstate commerce law
rests and is made the basis for federal
and state regulation. There exists
a universal and pronounced feeling
of hostility toward these corporations
and their homogeneous, which is find
ing expression in many states in rad
ical and severely restrictive legis
lation.
Disastrous to Finances,
"At the same time there IL manifest
everywhere spirit of unrest and
distrust regarding general financial
financial conditions and the continu.
alton of our great prosperity. Publ
cation is made from time to time of
indications and OF expressions by
prominent men.
There is complaint among finan.
ciers that they can not seel bonds
Several railway companies have been
compelled to Issue short time notes
at high rates Of interest. instead OF
long term bonds 10 raise money to
carry on their improvements.
Il am not financial expert and
do not pretend 10 fnalyze these none
tary conditions. | have belief in the
genuine prosperity of the country, but
| also believe that we are living in a
time of as great imitation as during
the greenback days following the
close of the civil war.
81 may be extreme in my compar
ison. but the prices of both labor and
commodities cannot go on forever in
creasing without day of readjust
ment. And the campaign of foment-
ing dstrust Of every kind will not
tend to make easy this settlement of
disturbed conditions.
Implies Roosevelt Blame.
81 have no desire to enter into a
discussion of the causes of the pres
ent situation or who is primarily re.
sponsblc for it, although | have pro-
nounced Ideas as to his identity
"No doubt there is some hstifca-
tion for the public hostility against
railroads. On the other hand there
Is little doubt that the conditions
complained of are not 50 bad or 50
as claimed.
They have been exaggerated and
distor cd. resulting in much unreason-
able prejudice being aroused, and bit.
teruess engendered. which is likely TO
work great wrong and injustice
The tend dsncy is TO go TO an OK.
treme which will not serve merely to
remedy conditions and practices that
need attention but extending far be-
yond will so check and impede the
operation Of railroads as to affect gen
eral busine interests. Then all will
suffer together.
Sees Danger in Legislation.
Legislation by congress and by
states is now the favorite panacea for
all existing and imagined evils of
railway management. New laws and
pending bills provide a supervision
and control by experienced officials
which would hamper and embarrass
the transportation interests of tn
country beyond measure.
a railroad is not Hike most lines
Of business It can not stop. II must
continue operations day and night
winter and summer. no matter what
happens. And this necessity brings
IL face TO fac with one of its greatest
present day problems-One too liuie,
recognized by the public. refer to-
the question Of labor.
There are several phases Of this
matter and some of them are directly
related 10 the campaign of hostile
agitation aud TO the prevailing econ
omic conditions II Is very difficult
for a railway TO cure a sufficient
number of experienced and traincl
men 10 operate its lines.
Among the older eastern roads q
arge number of trusted employ are
reaching the age limit IN the Della
ware. Lackswanna and Western com
pany they retire under A pension sys-
TEN. New men must be trained up
TO take their places and
keep the quota filled
Labor Laws Impossible.
Next comes the requirements OF