Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-09-09
RAIL MEN THINKING
MANY OF THEM ARE CONSIDER
ING PRESENT DAY coNDI-
b. TIONS.
Some Interesting Figures Given by
3. r. Yoakum in an Interview
with a New York Times
Reporter.

tive Committee of the Rock Island
Frisco lines, are losing every day
through the present depression in
trade $1,00O.O00, or $25,O0O,OO a
month" says the New York Times
"One-quarter of them, or about 400. OOO
men, are out of employment and are
living on their rapidly diminishing
savings.
Construction of new lines has al.
most entirely ceased, and for every
1000 miles OF new track that are not
built 5000 men lose permanent en-
Ployment and $4,000 people a good liv-
Ing The railroads arc purchasing
supplies at the rate of $500, O0O, 900, in
stead OF $I,250,000,000 a year.
Mr.. Yoakum has been speaking Late
ly la Texas and st. Louis, and urged
there that the most important element
In the present industrial conditions
was the enormous losses in wages and
the stagnation caused by the stoppage
OF the development of the country.
He has considered this phase of the
present crisis deeply"
A reporter of the New York Times
sought him recently at his farm at
Farmingdale, l.. l., and asked him
how he believed the railroad men of
the country would vote this year. Mr..
Yoakum declined to answer directly,
bnt said he could at any rate say
what is pressing itself day by day on
the minds OF the railroad men. He
said: s...t
Hard times are now costing. rail-
road employees $4,000. 900 :. month
or $1,000,000 for each working day.
This decrease of the employees pay.
roll is approximately the same amount
as the Governments daily deficit
at Washington. Tho Governments
deficit Of $1,O00,0O0 is shared by the
entire population of 85,000,000 people
while the other $1,000.GO0 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 saw
ings Of better days.
Il have been asked bow 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.
IA lroad workers are thrifty and
they help one another Their savings
and mutual bearing of the burdens Of
adyerIity have prevented much suf-
fer1ng up TO this time, but they have
greatly reduced their surplus bank ac.
counts, and when winter comes tho
story Will be different unless business
conditions materially improve.
Inc more than q million and a
half OF former RAILROAD workers have
In mind that one-foulth of their MN.
be' are out of jobs OF on short paw.
rIhey are thiaGing of their los. iob:.
EAot worrying over foreign policies dr
'rar1Hs on Imports, or huv this Gov.
-ernTVent snail deal with the Philip-
pines, and such questions, which the
Government authorities and Congress-
must deal with.
Inc railroad employees are moro
interested in what is going to be done
10 start up the work which will bring
back to them regular and permanent
employment. They arc tired OF seeing
dead engines, idle cars, neglected
tracks and rusty signs of disuse. |
VIII not try 10 say what they think
SHOULD be done, but Go know that
they are listening for words of en-
couraSement.
ITO think what it means in thou
sands of homes is not pleasant topic,
but we should look the situation
sQuarely in the face, and each man
should be pressed to share his re-
sponsibility in seeking q remedy.
THE campaign orators of Sertcm.
Der and October must face the coun.
try full Of men out OF employment.
Tho stump speakers will be seeking
votes and the idle will be seeking
work.
be thinking except of what caused
the reduction in their income of $780,
100000 year? They are listening for
those who have suggestions as to how
to get on the payroll again and at old
wages"
but there are other factors in the
railroad situat:on?" it was suggested
TO Mr. Yoakum
''Tho railroad omploye," he replied,
els the most important factor in the
railroad situation from every point
OF view. The owners of the railroads,
known as bond and stockholders, are
less in number than the employees and
havo less at stake. One year ago
there were, according to the Inter.
State Commerce Commissions figures.
1.6T5.000 employees. and they received
$1.o75, 100000 as wages, and. accord
Ing to Slasca Thompson, statistician,