The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-03-05
RAILROADS AGREE
TO nine HOUR LAW
ADD TO OPERATORS BUT CLOSE
,4t~ SMALL STATIONS.
GIVE OUT DISTRESS CRY
Company Chiefs Declare They Are
Near Failure as Result Of Slack
Season and the Acts of
Congress.

Washington, Mar. 2.--American
railways have made arrangements to
comply with the provisions of the
'nine-hour law" the operation OF the
law will mean the employment by
railroad companies of several thou
sand additional operators and the clos
ing Of large number of small sta.
tions on the. principal systems.
Disseminating Of railway service at
many points, it is thought, will induce
at least temporary Inconvenience to
travelling and shipping public. In order
to reduce operating expenses, which
now seems necessary, the operating
officials OF the railways believe that
this is the only way that they possibly
can meet the situation with which
they are confronted.
Near Failure, They Say.
o During the hearing OF applications
for an extension of the nine.hour law
by the interstate commerce commits.
sion, some astonishing statements
were made by the operating officials
of important railways. A good many
lines, owing, 10 reduction in their
revenues and to their inability. to
command the cash necessary to meet
their pay rolls, have been forced, dur.
ing the past four months, almost to
the point of asking for receivers. In
the opinion of railway officials ex.
pressed at the hearing under oath and
In private conversation this condition
does not seem to have been due to the
enforcement of regulative laws or to
the incapacity of railway management.
Most of the railway officials attribute
the difficulty to the unfortunate bank.
ing situation which developed last
September The railways did not feel
the stringency in money until about
the first of November. In fact, the
month of October was one of the best
in the history of the business of Amer.
lean railroading.
Tale Of Woe by Roads.
One railway official ventured the
statement that in the country Sunday,
there were 100000 idle freight cars
and one line WHICH he instanced was
declared to be hauling empty cars
backward and forward because it had
not yard room or sidings to accom-.
modate them, Not single official of
single railway line who appeared be-
fore the commission, however, ex-
pressed the belief that the present
Industrial depression would be lasting,
In the testimony of nearly every wit
ness before the commission there was
note of confidence because nearly
every one of them practically believed
that the stringency in the money mar.
ket from which the country has suf-
fered Is not due to fundamental
causes. They soint out that the crops
last year were good; that prices were
excellent; that industrial enterprises
throughout the country were flourish
ing ..
No indication of Wage Cut.
With four or five exceptions, no i'm.
portant railroads In the country have
indicated an intention to reduce the
wages OF their employees. AS Chair
man Knapp Of the interstate com.
merce commission expressed 1t: $50
far as ! am informed, there is not
concerted action on the part of Amer
lean railway companies to reduce
wges. Instances of an intention TO
change the scale of wages have been
given, but they can be said to be in
no sense general Such railroad COM
panies or their employees as may take
advantage Of the Erdman act to SCI
cure the mediation of the chairman
OF the interstate commerce commits
sion, and. the commissioner of labor
will be accorded every opportunity
fairly to present their case to the gov
ernment officials. It will be the effort
OF Chairman Knapp and Prof. Neill.
amicably to adjust the differences be-
tween the companies and their en-
ployes. The efforts will be purely
conciliatory as a hoard of arbitration.