The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1901-1982, 1908-09-03

-, ores who are no" a9o
are luz nortinent questions They nave
most - stake than the owners, ana
more ,,, CO. as capable of deciding FOR
aro and taking care u A
own interests .,ouo on,
aa,,o 10 cents for the employe ana
~ ao,ts for the bond and STOCK
the . an1- account for 60 cents OF
hoiu'' .,lar earned by the railroads,
, co. il shows the combined interests
os'. 3, IN 600 employees, bond ana STOCK
q - in the railroads OF the Na1N
hoi"'' or the remaining 81 cents OF
.io'' ,,1Ior T cents go for taxes and in'
lHs uo' ,d the balance of 80 cents
I 7,,', for material and supplies IN
I lba manufacture Of which TABOR Is
fine largest item
a,rbo loss to the entire country on
.nt Of inability of railroads to
,,,,rchase supplies is as serious 10 the
r,,bIic as the forced reduction III me
lp'a,,,oIIs Last year the total amount
- rhe railroad purchases was one anu
y quarter billion dollars. At the pres
a Emo tbav are only buying at the
,ate of onehalf billion dollars per an
nnm which at this rate means a loss
- tho manufacturers and the general
.so5o If the country of more than
80 0o0 600 a year, or two million
,I',IIars q dav. If to this is added the
anoroyimate one million dollars
,,iarling day which the railroad en-
,Iavo is suffering of this heavy loss,
i is anparent that the business OF the
country is losing at this rate approx
t,,otaly three million dollars day on
acconnt of shrinkage directly connect
cd with railroad operation
DO YOU wonder why the Labor
Commissioners the State of New York
is reporting that one-third of CHE
nnion men are idle because there is no
work or that Jacob Schiff is appeal
inc to the city officials of New York
to open up municipal work for their
relief?
"Tbere 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. | 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 ar
working short hours. He fully real
ICES that something is wrong He un-
derstands that the man who con-
structs 900 miles of railroad gives
actual and permanent employment to
5000 railroad men, and thereby fur
nishes the means of living for 24O0O
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"