The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-09-14
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est Of the people that they should not
suffer injustice Their prime purpose
is to carry the commodities of the
farmers and the business men; they
could not be built save for the money
contributed to them by their share.
holders; they could not be run al all
save for the money paid cut in wages
to the railroad employees and. finally,
they could not be run iudiciously, or
proiitably to any one. were il not for
the employment by them Of some mas
terful, guiding intelligence, whether OF
one man or OF a group OF men. There
are therefore several sets of interests
to be considered Each must receive
proper consideration, and when any
one of them selfishly demands exclus-
i've consideration the demand must be
refused. Along certain lines all OF
these groups have the same interests.
II IS to the interest of shipper farmer.
wage-worker, business man, honest
shareholder. and honest manager alike
6 at there should be economy, honesty
intelligence, and fair treatemnt of ALL
To put an effective stop to stock wa
tering would be a benefit to every
body except the swindlers who profit
by stock watering; it would benefit the
honest shareholder because honest in.
vestments would not be brought into
competition with mere paper; 1t would
benefit the wage worker because when
the money earned does not have to go
TO paying interest on watered capital,
more Of 1t Is left, out of which to pay
wages; 1t would benefit the shipper
because when only honest stockhold
ers have TO be paid interest rates
need not be improperly raised Il
| would benefit the public because there
would lie ample money with which TO
give efficient service Similarly. the
/ prevention of favoritism as among
4 shippers does no damage to any one
who is honest, and confers great good
upon the smaller business man and
| the farmer whom II relieves of op-
preston. Again. such supervision uf
accounts and management as win pre-
vent erookedness and oppression
works good, directly or indirectly, toI
all honest people Therefore every
thing that can be done along all these
lines should be done; and no mans
legitimate interest would thereby be
| hurt But after this point has boen
reached great care must be exercised
not 70 work INJUSTICE TO one class IN
the effort to show favor to another
class. and each class naturally tends 10
remember only its own needs. The
| stockholders must receive an ample
/ return on their Investments. or the
railroads cannot be built and success
fully maintained; and the rates to
shippers. and the wages 70 employees.
"a a fr,I,, .l,-
all be conditioned upon this fact On
the other hand. in a public service cor
poration we have no right 10 allow
snch excessive profits as win neeessi-
tate rates being unduly high and wages
unduly low Again, while in all prop
er ways rates must be kept low, we
must always remember that we have
no right and no justification to reduce
taem when the result is the reduction
Of the wages of the great army af
railroad men,. A fair working ar.
rangement must te devised according
10 the needs OF the several cases. so
, that profits, wages and rates shall
! each be reasonable with reference TO
, the other two-and in wages include
the properly large amounts viii IA
, should always be paid to those whose
|
: successful direction of great enter
prises Combinations which favor
such an equitable arrangement should
themselves be favored and not forbid
den by law; although they should be
surety supervised by the government
through the interstate commerce com.
mission. which should have the power
Of passing summar!ly upon not only
| mo- ia f.F
raising Of rates.
, This railroad problem is itself one
OF the phases OF one OF the greatest
and most intricate problems of our
civilization; for its proper solution we
need not merely honesty and courage
but Judgment. good sense. and entire
lalr mlndedness. Demagogy I'm such q
! matter is as certain 10 work evil as
( corruption Itself The man who prom
ises TO raise the wages OF railroad ON
2loyes 70 the laghest point and al III,
same time 10 reduce rates TO the low
. est point is promising what neither NJ
nor anyone else can perform: and 4
!. the effort to perform It were attempted
l. disaster would result to both shipDe
e and wage worker and ruin to th
4 business interests of the country Tn
D | AHf-tA q" ~ ANA IA NUN "a IldkktI as mi
a is the man who. like Judge Taft doe
q aoi promise TOO much, bun who coul
IS noi be swaycd From The path OF dut
L by any argument by any considers
d ton; who will wage relentless war !
O. the successful wrong doer among raj
4. road men as among all other men
who viii do all that can he done 70 81
cure legitlmately low rates TO shipper
and absolute eNenness among the rat.
thus secured; bpt who will neltht
: lpromise nor attempt 10 secure rate
! Bo low thai The wage Garner woul
!. lose his earnings and the shareholder
Nhosc money built the road. his pco
g1& He wib notfay0f a ruinops IIt
! iment like government ownership
!. railways; be will stand against an
kind OF confiscatlon of honestly a
I. quired property; hut he will work c
fectiyely for the most efficient type
n government supervision and control
( railways. so as TO secure just and IA
treatment Of the people as a whole
What Is here said as 10 his attilu(