Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-09-17

State Commerce Commissions figures.
I.s76,00o employees. and they received
| s1.075. 100000 ~ wages. and. accord
Ing TO slason Thompson. statistician.
there are only 100000 OF both bond
and stockholders receiving less than
half the amount paid rs wages.
"Out OF every dollar earned by the
railroads. the employee gets ~ cents
Of II in wages, while the bond and
stockholders combined only receive
81 cents out OF each dollar. or one
half as much as the employee. There
fore. numerically and financially. the
employees have by far the greatest In
terest In the railway revenues. and
are the ones who are now asking the
most pertinent questions. They have
more at stake than the owners. and
are Just as capable OF deciding for
themselves and taking care OF their
own interests.
THE ~ cents for the employe and
the Il cents for the bond and stock.
holder only account for 63 cents OF
each dollar earned by the railroads,
but II shows the combined interests
Of 2,675,000 employees. bond and stock.
holders In the railroads OF the Ma
ton. or the remaining 81 cents Of
the dollar, Z cents 60 for taxes and In.
surance, and the balance OF 80 cents
largely for material and supplies. In
the manufacture Of which labor 10
the largest item.
THE loss to the entire country on
account Of inability Of railroads to
purchase supplies Is as serious to the
public as the forced reduction in the
payrolls. Last year the total amount
Of the railroad purchases was one and
O quarter billion dollars. At the pres.
emit time they are only buying at the
rate Of one-half billion dollars per an
mum, which at this rate means loss
to the manufacturers and the general
trade of the country Of more than
$3.50. 100000 O year. or two million
dollars q day. II to this is added the
approximate one million dollars q
working day which the railroad EN-.
ploye IL suffering Of this heavy loss,
It Is apparent that the business Of the
country Is losing at this rate approx.
imately three million dollars day on
account of shrinkage directly connect
ed with railroad operation.
do you wonder why the Labor
Commissioner Of the State Of New York
10 reporting that one.third OF the
union men are idle because there Is no
work, or that Jacob Schiff is appeal
ing to the city officials Of New York
to open up municipal work for their
relief?
There Is another phase Of railroad
activity not included in the foregoing"
Mr.. Yoakum added. 1T is one which
Is seldom mentioned In connection
with figures dealing with employees.
wages and material. ! refer to con-
struction Of new railroads and more
extensive Improvement Of existing
ones to meet the growth Of the Ma
tons traffic. I refer to the army OF
men usually employed In this work
and the large amounts expended for
supplies. tools. fuel and other mate.
rial, the greater part Of which has
been cut on.
1.-THE railroad employees are well-in.
formed and capable citizens. Thy
give due credit for the good which
has been accomplished through healthy
reforms within the last few years.
They are not unmindful that proper
regulations to prevent abuses and
to give fair treatment to the public
are necessary.
There should be no difficulty In
surmising the thoughts Of the railroad
man. He knows that one out Of every
four OF his fellow.workmen Is idle or
working short hours. He fully real.
Ices that something Is wrong. He I'm.
derstands that the man who con-
structs 1000 miles Of railroad gives
actual and permanent employment to
5000 railroad men, and thereby fur.
nishes the means of living for $4,000
souls constituting their families.
He is thinking and hoping for bet.
| ter times. The vital issue will be the
man and the job, and the candidates
of both parties will have to meet 1t
In both National and State Campaigns.
with due regard to public welfare. at
the same time encouraging full restora-
ton Of confidence In the country's In
stitutions that construction, recon
struction, manufacturing and general
business may again assume their nor
NAL activities"
Subtle Criticism.
A certain young artist in New York