The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-11
RAILROAD NEWS.
Railway Employees and Their
Public Influence.
Realize Their Interests Are
With Those of Company.
STOP ALL CRITICISM.
Workers Should Exert All Their
Political Influence.
Other Items of General Interest
in Traffic World.

Evidence that the great army of rail-
way employees throughout the country
are at last awaking to the fact that
their individual interests and those OF
the corapanies which they serve are
common, and that what affects the one
either for good or i'll, influences the
other in the same direction to SINH
lar extent, says the Railway Record
In a recent article the editor OF the
Railroad Employee takes the position
that every railroad subordinate OF even
ordinary understanding should, without
the necessity of recourse to statistics
realize that his prosperity is so INSOFAR
sbly allied with his employers, that
anything which will prevent the cor
Torations from making necessary IN
creases in their rates cannot fall 10 re-
suit in anything short of calamity to
the employed and employer alike. me
article points out that it is a matter
of personal concern to every employS
that the railways are allowed 10 IN
crease their rates so that their reVe-
rues will not only give them fair
return on their investments but viii
enable them to pay good wages for
good service rendered, and keep their
roadbeds. bridges and equipment up to
the very highest possible standard,
guaranteeing
only the lives of the employees but the
travelling public as well.
How About Government Ownership?
With many of the closest students of
existing conditions, the Railroad En-
ployee has arrived at the conclusion
that the inevitable end of the present
trend of the course of events VIII be
government ownership of the railways,
and it asserts that from the average
railroad mans standpoint. nothing
could be more Enwelcome or undeslr-
able than absolute government owner
ship.
A striking illustration of the fact that
The govern ment would not suffer the
same liberty of action among its en-
ployees as is accorded them by the
companies they now serve, was fur
nished some time ago when the en-
ployees Of the postoffice department at
tempted to form union for the Lur
pose of taking united action for the
protection of their own interests. As
soon as the attempt was brought to
the attention of the heads of the post
office department at Washington, they
at once notified the men that their pro-
posed action could not and would not
he tolerated ir the government service,
and that any further attempt to pro-
coed along the course indicated, would |
subject those making it to instant dis
nissal from the government service. 1t |
the various government departments |
that trades unions and the government !
service are wholly incompatible, and
just as it was in regard to the post
Office service, SO would it be with the
service were the operation of
the railways of the country under gov
control.
Employees Must Exert Influence.
If railway employees desire to have
their own interests conserved and pro-
NOTED, they can take no surer way of
having this desire fulfilled than by ex-
erting their whole influence in opposi- |
tion to the spirit of hostility to railway
interests which is now abroad in the !
land, aud which is being promoted and |
Encouraged by those in high places.
AS a matter of self defense, therefore,
1t behooves railway employees to join |
forces and exert all the political inf1u- |
ence they can bring to bear in the |
various communities in which their |