New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-12-21
TR4INMEy AND RAILROADS.

The expected demands Of the train
men employed on the railroads Of the
eastern half of the country. made public
in PittSbUrg Yesterday. involve increases
Of from > 10 40 per cent in wages The
trainmen will wait until January ~ for
an answer. but strike is not contem-
plated in any event. Indeed, Mr.. Lee.
president Of the Brotherhood Of Rail-
way Trainmen. is reported to have ~
marked hopefully that the railroads
were looking for an excuse To raise
freight rates" and apparently their en-
ployes feel that they have dutifully af-
fOrded them such an excuse and that
they can afford 10 wait until the roads
thrash out the question OF higher
charges with the public
1t is no secret 10 newspaper readers
any more than il is 10 railway employees
that the mana gers Of many roads VIII
not receive this demand for higher
wages with diSmay. More than one rail-
road president has been quoted since
the purpose Of the trainmen became
known 10 the effect that if wages had
To he raised rates would also have 10
&c up. and there can he little doubt that
the various railroad interests which have
been striving the last two years for a
general advance in freight charges Will
welcome this excuse which their en-
plOyes have afforded them. Other cx-
Cuses for an advance in rates are not
quite 50 good now as they were when
the agitation began. Some of the rail
roads Of the country are enjoying great
prosperity at the present rates. Within
a few weeks eight roads have increased
their dividends. some merely restoring
them 10 the high figure at which they
stood in the boom times of 1906 but
others even raising them beyond that
high water mark. Earnings are good and
increasing. being u per cent larger IN
the last week of November than they
were in the corresponding week of last
year. 80 il may he difficult for the rail-
roads 10 convince the public that rates
should be advanced. adding. il only
slightly. 10 the high cost of living
The community of interest disclosed
in this instance between the railroads.
which want to raise their charges 10
the public, and their employees, who
want their wages increased, is not
novel phenomenon. When the extensions
Of the Public Service legislation were
pending I'm Albany last winter IL was
the employees Of the public service cor
porations who sent petitions 10 the
Legislature against \ further strength
cninG of the provisions for regulation.
on the ground that tho interests Of the
employees would be served by a nom
interference policy. Again. when the
steel manufacturers last year were re-
siSting the demands for the cut i'm the
price OF their products which the eco
nOmic situation required thcv gave ms
one excuse for maintaining prices the
fact that they were maintaining thoIr
workmens wages
Theirs was probably not the only case:
on the contrary. one reason for the keep
ing up of wages throughout the recent
depression was the desire of the hiS
combinations 10 keep their prices also
uncut I'm the industries where COM
petition prevailed. as in the textiles.
there was considerable wage reduction
in the recent panic. This community ~
interest between capital and labor will
prOhah bly, become more evident as both
become more organized.