The Forrest City times., 1908-09-04
are the ones who arc now asking the

are the ones who arc now asking tho most pertinent questions. They have more at stake than the owners, and are jast as capable of deciding for themselves and taking care of their own interests.
 The 43 cents for the employe and the 21 cents for the bond and stock holder only account for 63 cents of each dollar earned by the railroads, but it shows the combined interests of 2,675.000 employees, bond and stock holders in the railroads of the Ma tion. Of the remaining g cents of the dollar, cents go for taxes and in surance, and the balance of 90 cents largely for material and supplies, in the manufacture of which labor is 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 quarter billion dollars. Al the pres ent time they are only buying at the rate of one-half billion dollars per an. mum, which at this rate means a loss to the manufacturers and the general trade of the country of more than $750 0O0,000 a year, or two million dollars day If to this is added the approximate one million dollars a working day which the railroad em. ploye is 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 Commissioned the State of New York is reporting that one-third of tho union men are idle because there is no 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" MT. Yoakum added Tt 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 tion's traffic. 1 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 off.
 The railroad employees are well-in. formed and capable citizens. They 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 izes that something is wrong. He un. derstands that the man who con- structs 1000 miles of railroad gives actual and permanent employment to 6.000 railroad men, and thereby fur nishes the means of living for 24,O00 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 it in both National and State Campaigns, with due regard to public welfare, at the same time encouraging full restora- tion of confidence in the country's in. stitutions that construction, recon struction, manufacturing and general business may again assume their nor nal activities"