Albuquerque morning journal., 1908-03-02
RAILROADS To
COMPLY WITH
9-HOUR LAW
MEANS INCONVENIENCE
TO TRAVELLING PUBLIC
Astonishing Statements Made
Before Commerce ConimS-
sion ON Behalf of Companies
to Delay Laws Enforcement,
[By Morning Journal Special Lsa,ea Wire. /


Washington, March 1.-Americau
railways have made arrangements to
comply with the provisions Of the
"nne-hour law" The operation of
the law will mean the employment by
railroad companies of several thou-
sand additional operators and the
closing of a large number of small
stations on the principal systems. Dis
continuing of railway service at
many points, it is thought. will in
duCC at least temporary inconVen-
iCnce to the travelling and shipping
public in order to reduce operating
expenses, which was deemed noces-
sary, as this is the only way the rail-
roads can meet the situation with
which they are confronted.
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, Ding to 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
pressed at the hearing, under oath
ana in private conversation, this CON
ditiOn does not seem to have been due
to the enforcement Of rcgulatiVe laws
or to the mcapacity Of railway man
agement. Most of the railway Off
cials attribute the difficulty to the
unfortunate banking situation which
developed last September. The rail
roads did not feel the stringency in
mr. ob ha Of !
ber In fact, the month Of October |
as one of the best in the history of
the business of American railroad !
ing.
Then without the slightest warn
ing" II. e. Nudge, vice president |
and general manager of the Rock Is |
land system, expressed il, we We're I
plunged from pros Gritty To advarsity |
A year ago our system could not ham
die the traffic offered us To-day we |
have 1000 idle cars. Five months /
ago we suffered from a congestion Of /
freight. now we suffer from a CON
gcstion of empty cars"
What is true Of the Rock Island is
true also of scores Of other railroads.
one railway official ventured the
statement that in the country today
there were 100000 idla freight cars,
and one line which ne instanced was
declared to be hauling empty cars
backward and forward because ii had !
not yard room or sidings to accom-
mOdate them.
Not a single official Of d single
railway line who appeared before the
commission, however, expressed the
belief that the present industrial de-
preston would be lasting In the tcs-
timOny of nearly every witness before i
the commission there was a note of
ri !
of them practically believed that the
in the money market from
which the country has suffered Is not
due to fundamental causes, They
point out that the crops last year
were good that prices were eXcell"nti
That industrial enterprises throue out
tho country We're flOurishing. 1t VAS
merely the inability to comr tnd
ready cash and the boarding of money
by panic-stricken individuals which
produced so suddenly the remarkable l,
depression from which all have suf-
Tered. They practically uniformly
express confidence that the return of +
win be almost as sudden AS ,
was the coming of adVersity and in
thNir arguments as to the enforce
nont of the nine-hOuI law they point
'd ont to the commission that such |
a return of prosperity might seriously
d
.hc law, because it would render it q
difficult to command the services of {
Competent operators i'm sufficient I
numbers to meet the needs Of pros l
porous conditions. with four or five |
'Nccntt"rs no Important railroads in j
the country have indicated an intcn- ]
non to reduce the wages of their en- y
Dloycs. AS Chairman Knapp of the '
commission, expressed it: 80 far as :
am Informed, there is no concerted /
'cton on the part Of the American {
railway companies to reduce wages.
Instances of an intention to change |
he scale of wages have been given,
1ut they can be said to be in no sense
general"
such railroad companies or Cm- !!
lloyes as may take advantage Of the !
brdman act to secure the mediation !
II the chairman Of the Interstate |
'ommerce commission and the COM ;
missioner of labor viii be accorded )
very opportunity fairly TO present ,
heir case to the government Off
'ials. 1t will be the effort of Chair e
nan Knapp and Professor Neill ami G
ABLY to adjust the differences be- {
Ween the companies and their en- 6
'loyes Their efforts viii be purely u
'ohciliatory as a board Of arbitra- q
ION. Any decision they may reach in e
given case will not be binding upon d
lther party to the controversy, They !
Npect however, to be able to adjust o
uch differences as may be presented i
o them, on the facts now in their d
possession, without serious difficulty. t