The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-11-03
RAILROAD RATES THE
BASIS OF PROSPERITY

I
the car wheels in the United States
was in Boston yeSterday. Ile was
NsA% Mach pleasedn nNer tha action tos
the railroad employees III New fYblsk
| IN organizing to ring pressure W
on the authorities for a square dea
for the railroads In respects to theii
rates
Mr. Griffin said; Most Of the
trouble in this world is from nlsn
formation, Where two parties to
controversy are equally wel-informed
there will always be fair settlement;
where either partytis incorrectly In
formed, there Is no possibility of
satisfactory adjustment If any set
tlement appears il Is compulsory OF
one side and will not stand
''The only way to settle these rail
road difficulties is for all the parties
both to the railroad employees and tht
business men of the country. TO inform
< them OF the seriousness OF a political
situation that may endanger the bust
ness situation
Il first sent out $4,000 circulars OF
the topic OF radical railroad regulation
and | have followed il up with $50,
900 addressed to business men and in
Yestors on the subject Of railroad rate
regulation.
People ask me Who'll am WORKING
for and how can afford II. | car
afford It because my business Is dull
in good times supply SO per cent 0
the car-wheels OF the railroads. The.
are using their old wheels nov
When they come to replace them,
will have my proportion Of the bust
ness, and II they don't replace then
the public will suffer
Il am In campaign of education
, for myself and my 10000 employees
of whom 40 per cent are now out o.
the works and for the most part idle
"lf the railroads continue to be haf
assed by legislation. by restraint
as respects rates so that they have
not the money properly to maintap
their equipment, what Is now affecting
; my business will affect the business
OF everybody in the country.
81 figure that more than 30 per cen
: Of the people OF this country have
their wages or prosperity based direct
ly upon transportation interests.
The railroads employ 100000 ant
they are not women and children; the
: are heads of families with five mouth
to fill | figure there are 100000
workers connected directly and indi
, lrectly with the railroad supply bus
u ness; these also have five mouths eacf
to feed Here are 100000 people
and If you figure little further. yot
will find 27.O00O0O people or more
than 30 per cent Of the people OF tn,
United States. whose living is depend
ent upon transportation interests. /
J is, of course. more apparent to me a
first than ii is to the other fellow
!. Iiknow II this year He viii know |
next year and lhe year after | wan
/. lin to see the cause Of the troubl,
this year. because II it spreads he i
: going to feel it next year and bad re
suits often follow when people feel
pressure but don't know the reason
therefor
The more people there arc out o
employment in this country. the more
every mans employment is in danger
II is time, for the employees OF tht
railroads to awake TO their situation
: and establish community Of inte,
est.
"a large part OF the trouble in thii
matter of rate regulation has beer
: that the railroads themselves hav'
been denied by law proper measure
of cummunity OF interest The rail
roads have not yet been able to fint
even base of combination In respee
to presenting their difficulties before
the authorities and the public.
"lf the railroads continue to act eacl
from its individual standpoint. the,
will one after the other be bowles
: over.
"The railroad situation should be re
moved entirely from the political flel'
: 1t is the common interest Of all th'
!, people. II is the business interest 0
= the business man and the bread ant
butter interest Of the Iaboring man.
: "There is another important point
and that is the safety OF the travelinl
!. public. The railroads we're stoppei
, BY the panic OF 1907 In their plan 0
I development and upbullding. The
:, had ordered heavy locomotives AM
large cars with the intention of put
/ ting under them 90-pound rails.
!. large amount of this equipment ha
!. been delivered since the panic an
}. there has not been enough money rais
: ed by the railroads to put the prope
underpinning beneath that equipment
There should be at least an annua
Is per cent renewal. ] figure that tn
;. railroads are now nearly % per cen
. behind in the renewal Of their equiT
ment. The railroads, stopped first b
the panic, now by legislation and go'
. ernment activities. are not only no
meeting their renewal requirements
hut they are making no provisions 10
= any increared demand upon their Il
4 cilities by reason OF the growth J
n population.
. 'sDelayed annual repairs and dela,
r. ed provisions in natural growth AT
\. likely to come upon the railroads SUE
! denly and together and the publ
must he the sufferers. for the publ
has the largest interest at stake
st the railroads.
t. "when 1O0-ton locomotive begin
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