The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-03
'G0ING TO POLLS TO
SAVE THEIR JOBS j
Railway Employees Preparing to
Take Active HParti Fiji
turc Elections.
.EHuGE YARDS ABANDONED
Report Of c. and O. for Deem
Der Shows Big Decrease as
Compared with Last Year.

|
Railroad employees in Virginia and
North Carolina are preparing to take
IN active part in future elections.
practically admitting that they will
rally their forces to oppose those ~.
| tice-scekers who have led the war on
the transportation companies, resulting
| III the wholesale reduction OF wages
In statement given out at Raleigh,
| II. j. Stewart, q prominent member OF
the Order OF Railroad Condu C,ors, de-
cared that the 10000 employees In
North Carolina would vote as one man
against the POLITICIANS responsible for
the loss sustained by the wase-earners
from adverse and hostile Legislation.
How They View 1t Here.
Members of the various railroad or
ders In Richmond declined yesterday
TO say just how far they proposed TO
go. Already appeals lave been made
to the Legislature, now in session, not
to pass other stringent laws.
From whit l can gather" said
leading worker in the ranks. the en-
ployes OF Virginia will petition the
state Corporation Commission to amend
| It's 2-cent order and substitute a rate
I OF LIZ cents OIL the ten principal
lines. II this is done. there Will be less
possibility OF further wage reductions.
It 1t is not done, VIC are afraid the
railroads may make more sweeping
reductions. / am not prepared to say
what course we will take after that"
The popular 2-cent cry of year ago
has suddenly become an unpopular
campaign slogan, especially among
railroad employees and their allied or
lis found in North Carolina. where the
increase OF one-half a cent in the pas
senger rate has met with universal
approval on the part OF the public.
II the thousands OF railroad people
In Virginia enter politics, Just when
the railroads themselves are getting
out. the effect will be more far
reaching. the effort then being to clert
conservative men who Will regard the
welfare OF the toilins masses.
| Referring to the Seaboard Air Line,
Mr.. Stewart says that prior to the rate
agitation the company used twenty
two train crews between Raleigh and
Hamlet, and Is now scarcely able to
| give regular employment to six crews.
DO you think that such conditions
are not enough to stir the very souls
Of these men?" he says. DO you think
that the railway men are going to sit
lido ana permit, without murmur, the
cutting on OF their very bread?"
| Ready to Act.
Members OF the Virginia Order of
Railway Conductors said last night
that they know Stewart, that he was a
good man. and that he was not Wild
In his tendencies or prone to violence
of speech.
..I know" said an employe in Rich
mond, that the railroads, or some OF
them. at least, have said that the dis
continuance Of passenger trains was
not due alone to the rate laws. The
money stringency Is responsible Tor
would be fewer hardships for us had
not the rates been cut. We cannot UNI
derstand why the law was vetoed In
New York and knocked out in Penn
sylv4nia, and then perpetrated in Nir-
ginia. The candidate who comes out
for public office now on two-cent
platform Will not get many, votes from
employees or from the working people
Interested in our STRUGGLED"
Yards Abandoned.
AS further evidence of the fact that
the railways are still suffering from
the money strngency. the huge Poto-
mac freight yards used Jointly by all of
tho roads running into Washington,
have for the present been abandoned,
according to statement made here
yesterday. Officials of the several
roads, especially the Pennsylvania, say
that just now the yards are too OK
pensive.
When in operation these yards en-
ploy IN the nelShoorhood of 200 men,
and under the orders which close them
n great number will be thrown out
of work. On Saturday seventy men
We're discharged, and to-day another
and ID, large, cut is expected.
The railroads In handling their
freight will so. back to their old yards.
The Southern has already returned to
its old tracks, tho Pennsylvania Will
operate In the Maryland Yards, while
the Baltimore and Ohio will return to
the Alexandria Yards TRANSFERRING
freight across the river as heretofore.
With the C. & o.
According TO statement Of earn
tngs and expenses of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Railway fors.the month OF
December, issued on Saturday. the net
earnings showed a decrease of S16c,-
1891. as compared with the month Of
December. 1906.
The net earnings. however. from
July. to December 31st showed an in
crease of s51S.920.55 over the CORE
spending period OF the same year.