The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-09-04
RAIL MEN THINKING
~ oF THEM ARE CONSIDER
v ING PRESENT DAY CoNDI-
TONS.
49,. interesting Figures Given by
e Yoakum in an Interview
with New York Times
Reporter.

-
a. Ave- Committee of the Rock Island
u ~ lines, are losing every day
i,.ough the present depression in
. . 100000, or s25,OOO,OOO a
nth" says the New York Times.
1nne.ouarter of them, or about 100000
Won are out Of employment and are
,,sing on their rapidly diminishing
savings.
construction of new lines has al
.,ost entirely ceased, and for every
,o00 miles of new track that are not |
snilt 5000 men lose permanent en-
rlovment and $4,000 people good liv- |
mo The railroads are purchasing
.nnplies at the rate of $5000O0,000, in.
stead of $3.50, 100000 year
"Mr. Yoakum has been speaking late
10 in Texas and st. Louis, and urged
thore that the most important clement
IN the present industrial conditions
Was the enormous losses in wages and
fine stagnation caused by the stoppage
of the development of the country.
10 has considered this phase of the
nresent crisis deeply
A reporter of the New York Times
sought him recently at his farm at
Fsrmingdale, l.. l., and asked him
how he believed the railroad men of
+be country would vote this year. Mr.
Yoakum declined to answer directly,
hut said he could at any rate say
what is pressing itself day by day on
the minds of the railroad men. He
said
Hard times are now costing rail-
road employees $25,OOO,000 a month
or 100000 for each working day
This decrease of the employees pay
roll is approximately the same amount
as the Governments daily deficit
at Washington. The Governments
deficit of 100000 is shared by the
entire population of S5,000,OO0 people
while the other $1,000,000 daily loss is
borne by the railroad employees.
"This loss in wages indicates that
the means of living for 100000 rail-
road men has been cut off, and that
not only themselves but the 100000
persons comprising their dependent
families are living out of their say.
ings Of better days.
II have been asked how the rail-
road men will vote in November.
Frankly do not know, but believe
know of what they are thinking.
They are thinking of next Winters
fuel, clothing bills, and keeping their
children in school, They are wonder
ing what will be done to remedy the
present industrial conditions and stop
the appalling loss from enforced idle
ness.
Railroad workers are thrifty and
they help one another. Their savings
and mutual bearing Of the burdens OF
adversely have prevented much sui
fering up to this time, but they have
greatly reduced their surplus bank &C
counts, and when winter comes the
story will be different unless business
conditions materially improve.
The more than a million and 6
half of former railroad workers have
in mind that one-fourtG of their mum
Der are out of jobs or on short pay
They are thinking of their lost jobs
not worrying over foreign policies d
tariffs on imports, or how this Gov
eminent shall deal with the Philip
pines, and such questions, which thu
Government authorities and Congress
must deal with.
The railroad employees are more
Interested in what is going to be done
to start up the work which will brinI
back to them regular and permanen
employment. They are tired of seeing
dead engines, idle cars, neglected
tracks and rusty signs Of disuse.
will not try to say what they thinl
should be done, but | do know tina
they are listening for words of en-
couragement.
TO think what it means in thou
sands of homes is not pleasant topic
out We should look the situation
sQuarely in the face, and each maj
should be pressed to share his re
sponsibility in seeking a remedy.
The campaign orators of Septem
Der and October must face the coun
Try full of men out of employment
The stump speakers will be seekin
votes and the idle will be seekin
work.
OF what else can the railroad me-
Oe thinking except of what cause
the reduction in their income of $500
VsOOOO year? They are listening 70
nose who have suggestions as to hoy
70 get on the payroll again and at oil
wages"
But there are other factors in tn
railroad situation?" it was suggeste
70 Mr.. Yoakum,
The railroad employee" he replied
IS the most important factor in tn
railroad situation from every poin