The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-09-04

'no ones VINO are now asking the |
most pertinent questions. Thew have
more at stake than the owners and
are just as capable of deciding for
themselves and taking care of their
own interests.
Inc AZ cents for the employe and
the Il cents for the bond and stock. |
hoider only account for GO cents OF
each dollar earned by the railroads.
put 1t shows the combined interests
OF 2,675,OOO employees, bond and stock.
holeers IN the railroads of the Ma.
llon' Or the remaining 81 cents of
the dollar, cents 60 for taxes and in.
surance, and the balance of 80 cents
largely for material and supplies. in
the manufacture of which labor is
the largest item.
Inc loss to the entire country on
account of inability of railroads to
purchase supplies is as serious to the
pubic as the forced reduction in the
payrolls' Last year the total amount
OF the railroad purchases was one and
a quarter billion dollars. At 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
10 the manufacturers and the general
trade of the country of more than
S'0V,000,000 a year, or two million
collars a day. If to this is added the
approximate one million dollars a
Working day which the railroad en-
ploye Is suffering of this heavy loss,
II IS apparent that the business of the
country is losing at this rate approx
lmately three million dollars a 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 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. l 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 fol-
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 anf
to give fair treatment to the public
are necessary.
There should be no difficulty II
surmising the thoughts Of the railroad
man. He knows that one out of ever.
four of his fellow-workmen is idle o.
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 give
actual and permanent employment t
1 5000 railroad men, and thereby fur
nishes the means of living for 24,00
l souls constituting their families.
HE is thinking and hoping for BET
ter times. The vital issue will be tn
!, man and the job, and the candidate
of both parties will have to meet i
. in both National and State Campaigns
with due regard to public welfare, a
the same time encouraging full restore
ton of confidence in the country's II
/ stitutions that construction, recor
= struction, manufacturing and genera
business may again assume their mol
NAL activities