The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-09-29

earned does not have to go to paying in
terest on watered capital more of 1t is
left out of which to pay wages. 1t would
benefit the shipper because, when only
honest stockholders have to be paid inter
est, rates need not be improperly raised
1t would benefit the pubic because there
would be ample money with which to give
efficient service. Similarly the prevention
of favoritism as among shippers does no
damage to any one who is honest and con-
fers great good upon the smaller business
man and the farmer, whom it relieves of
oppression.
Again, such supervision of accounts and
management as will prevent crookedness
and oppression works good. directly or in
directly, to all honest people. Therefore
everything that can be done along all
these lines should be done. and no man 8
legitimate interest would thereby be hurt.
But after this point has been reached
great care must be exercised not to work
Injustice to one class in the effort to
show favor to another class, and each
class naturally tends to remember only
It's own needs. The stockholders must re-
ceive an ample return on their invest
ments or the railroads cannot be built
and successfully maintained, and the
rates to shippers and the wages to en-
ployees, from the highest to the lowest.
must all be conditioned upon this fact
On the other hand, in a public service
corporation we have no right to allow
such excessive profits as will necessitate
rates being unduly high and wages un-
duly low Again, while in all proper ways
rates must be kept low. we must always
remember that we have no right and no
justification to reduce them when the re-
suit Is the reduction of the wages OF the
great army of railroad men. fair work
ing arrangement must be devised accord
ing to 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 which should always be
paid to those whose masterful ability Is
required for the successful direction OF
great enterprises Combinations which
favor such an equitable arrangement
should themselves be favored and not
forbidden by law, although they should
be strictly supervised by the government
through the Interstate commerce commits
passing summarily upon not only the
question Of the reduction. but the raising
Of rates
This railroad problem is itself one OF
the phases of one of the greatest ano
most intricate problems of our civ1liza-
ton. For its proper solution we need MOI
merely honesty and courage. but Judg-
ment. good sense and entire fair minded
ness Demagogy in such matter is as
certain to work evil as corruption itself
The man who promises to raise the wages
Of railroad employees to the highest point
and at the same time to reduce rates tc
the lowest point is promising what mel
Their he nor any one else can perform
and If the effort to perform It were at
tempted disaster would result to both
shipper and wageworker and ruin to the
business interests Of the country. The
man to trust In such matter as this Is
the man who. like Judge Taft. does not
promise too much, but who could not be