Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-09-12

! are the ones who are now asking the
{ c1cst pertinent questions. They have
| more at stake than the owners, and
are just as capable Of deciding for
themselves and taking care of their
| own interests.
The ~ cents for the enp1o---e and
the 81 cents for the bond and stock
holder only account for So cents of
each dollar earned by the railroad .
but it shows the combined interests
of 2,675,000 employees, bond and stock
holders in the railroads of the Ma
ton. OF the remaining 81 cents of
the dollar, cents go for taxes and in
surance, and the balance of 80 cents
largely for material and supplies, in
the manufacture OF which labor is
the largest item.
The loss to the entire country ON
account of inability of railroads to
purchase supplies is as serious to the
public as the forced reduction in the
payrolls. Last year the total amount
of the railroad purchases was one and
4 quarter billion dollars. At the pres
ent time they are only buying at the
rate of one-half billion dollars per an
mum, which at this rate means loss
to the manufacturers and the general
trade of the country of more than
$7oO, 100000 year, or two million
dollars day. If to this is added the
approximate one million dollars a
working day which the railroad en-
ploye is suffering OF this heavy loss,
it is apparent that the business of the
country is losing at this rate approx
imately three million dollars a day on
account of shrinkage directly connect
ed with railroad operation.
DO you wonder why the Labor
Commissioners of the State of New York
is reporting that one-third of the
union men are idle because there is no
work, or that Jacob Schiff is appeal
ing to the city officials of New York
to open up municipal work for their
relief?
There is another phase of railroad
activity not included in the foregoing"
Mr.. Yoakum added. 1T is one which
is seldom mentioned in connection
with figures dealing with employees,
wages and material. 1 refer to con-
struction of new railroads and more
extensive Improvement of existing
ones to meet the growth of the Ma
tion's traffic. L refer to the army of
men usually employed in this work
and the large amounts expended for
supplies. tools. fuel and other mate
rial, the greater part of which has
been cut off
The railroad employees are well-in-
formed and capable citizens They
give due credit for the good which
has been accomplished through healthy
reforms within the last few years
They are not unmindful that proper
regulations to prevent abuses and
to give fair treatment to the public
are necessary.
There should be no difficulty in
surmising the thoughts of the railroad
man. He knows that one out of every
four of his fellow-workmen is idle or
working short hours. He fully real
ICES that something is wrong. He I'M
derstands that the man who con-
structs 1000 miles of railroad gives
actual and permanent employment to
5000 railroad men, and thereby fur
nishes the means of living for $4,000
souls constituting their families.
He is thinking and hoping for bet
ter times. The vital issue will be the
man and the job, and the candidates
of both parties will have to meet it
in both National and State Campaigns,
with due regard to public welfare, at
the same time encouraging full restora-
ton of confidence in the country's in
stitutions that construction, recon-
struction, manufacturing and general
business may again assume their nor
NAL activities