The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-03-07


been written out. and in due season
is printed on fine, thick paper and sent
for consideration.
+, All of which will add to the sorrows
| of the railroads that are bonded be-
| yond their real value. It might be
| mentioned that the railroads out in
! Mr.. La Follette's State of Wisconsin,
/ may not be worrying much, for they
| have already been appraised under
State law and this may satisfy the
| Interstate Commerce Commission. The
new provision, whatever it may be,
will not mean that all railroads must
be appraised. as was originally pro-
posed by Mr. La Toilette, so that there
could be a substantial foundation upon
which to estimate what freight and
passenger charges should be, but it
does mean that watered securities of
railroads will have difficulty in passing
muster with Treasury officials as basis
for emergency currency notes to be is
sued by national banks.
Incidentally the entire transaction
demonstrates how Mr.. La Toilette is
becoming power in the United States
Senate. He is a little man in stature,
and when the Senate virtually ostra-
cized him for his independent views
and his determination to advance them,
he gritted his teeth and kept right on.
But he insisted on putting Senators
on record and fought through the
deadly rollcalls. Some of the older
Senators saw long ago that he must
bn fol 31xy mill
be heard of La Toilette.
| He is a radical Republican and proud
of it. So is President Roosevelt and
says so. The conservatives do not like
his little ways. But, entirely apart
from the merits OF what Mr. La Fol-
lette advocates, he is growing legisla-
lively because he catches the favor of
the great Western constituencies. He
is strong up and down the Mississippi
valley where Roosevelt is also strong.
He is strong because he is fighting
railroads and other big corporations
where he thinks they are doing wrong.
| The same is true of President Roose-
welt. Eight years ago the politicians
were saying nearly the. same things of
Theodore Roosevelt that they are now
saying about La Toilette, which does
not necessarily mean that La Toilette
is as great a man as Roosevelt or will
be. 1t is simply stated to show that
the man is getting ahead in Wash
ington because of the ideas he advo-
Gates in season and out of season.
The railroad officials, who are now
focking to Washington, come as sup
plants rather than as antagonists, in
which latter role they f1ocked to Wash
ington two years ago. Then they or
ganized big Hobbies here. Expensive
attorneys took up winter residence in
the highest priced hotels and there
was much coming and going. They
were defiant, or most of them were.
Now they are pleading for clemency
and for considerable treatment They
say that earnings have decreased, that
dividends are being cut, so that the
stockholders already have to suffer |
from the industrial depression. Then |
why should not the wage earners share |
in the loss, rather than take it all out |
of the stockholders pockets or even |
force the railroads into bankruptcy?
One railroad system, already in
bankruptcy, is trying to reduce wages
the Seaboard Air Line, with thou
sands of miles of tracks extending
from Washington down into Florida.
The federal courts are likely to APP
prove reduction of wages there, with I
the result that the federal administra-
ton can not interfere. The outcome
is awaited with interest in the railroad
world. The whole question of railroad
and the question of the part
that railroads have in furthering or
the prosperity of the coun-
try are under serious discussion. Some
say that the natural laws of commerce
have been interfered with by drastic
legislation and therefore the railroads
have been unduly fettered. 1t is I'M
a serious matter, for the
railroads make much for the veal or
woe of the people IF they are not
allowed to charge as much as they
ought to charge for traffic, the public
has to suffer in the long run.
Things may come to a pass where
the people will have to ask the most
cordial cooperation of the railroads to
help bring prosperity back, The whole
is praying for it. There are
soup kitchens in hundreds of American
towns and cities at the present time. i
Very little is being said about them in
The respective localities. If with the
no revival of business, the railroads
may come in for some sympathy, es- !
pecially if it can be proven that they =,
have not been given a square DEAF
all round and as a consequence have
not contributed as much as they could
have contributed, if let alone, to the
Industrial activity and to the ,
employment of laboring people.
Their complaints to Congress and to
he administration at this time, extend
to other causes than have been men I
toned. Railroad presidents have been ,
swarming the offices of the Interstats ,
Commerce Commission, pleading for an ,
extension of the time when the nine ,
hour law for telegraphers shall go into !
operation. That was enacted sometime
ago to become operative March next. :
Railroad operators now in interstate ,
work often twelve hours and ;
more day. 1t is. of course, too long. :
The railroads claim they can not get ;
he extra operators. Perhaps, that :
contention is open to doubt, for many :
good operators are walking the streets :
'ut of a job. The real objection per-
laps, is that it would entail much ex-
OF | {