Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-06-13
Public Forum

wholly misleading and illogical.
Al the risk OF being regarded as n
creature OF these designated railroad
monopolies and being an advocate OF
a quare deal, your correspondent will
ask the use of our columns 10 speak
q few words in behalf Of present rail-
road management. and 10 show the
absolute untruthfulness and absurdity
OF the charges and imputations such
rs are contained IN the articles above
referred to.
MIR. Gittcrman says and | quote his
exact language, that as railroad COM
panies have to pay for injured pas
sengers, they therefore take pains not
to injure them than as they have to
stand the loss of q damaged locomo-
tive therefore they take pains not TO
injure it. ON the other hand he
says that as railroads do not IN gem
| eral have To pay for killed employees,
therefore they kill one every two
hours. lie further says that h law
throws the whole burden of indus
trial accidents on the toilers and that
the protection thus afforded the en-
ploycr encourages his negligence and
increases the mishaps.
To the candid mind this absurd and
uncomfortable imputation Of heart
lessness and want OF business umcn
II At-AA ~ 80 - AAAANN 81 - fHf8-
nation and q disordered mind. Such
u~tteranees can only be inspired by
fanatlcnl a%ntagonism TO wealth and
| vested rights.
II should require but a moments
thought to convince any fair-minded
person of the Inconsistency and i'm
probility Of any such intent or action
On the part Of railroads or any other
Industrial combinations. In times
t...g l.aa 80 I4Fa nd Iatagp4 10 rail
ing stock might have been charged
to ignorance and mismanagement Of
stockholding directors. but even then,
there was no one so bold as to charge
II To design. Later when it broke
upon the minds of the stockholders
that they needed men of practical
knowledge. mechanical skill and
brains TO insure returns 81 the In
vested capital they selected managers
from the ranks; men of thought and
experience. that tells for wisdom.
To them they paid big salaries and
the enhanced returns soon showed the
wisdom of their choice. Collisions
hat result in damage to rolling stock
are generally accompanied by loss OF
life, and the same precautions are
taken to preserve life, and really |
more, than to save property.
Railroad managers are constantly
adopting safety appliances to guard
against loss of life for greater
obloquy attaches to those who show
heedlessness and neglect. The credit
OF the system and desire for patron
age, if for nothing else, would stimu-
late c~arefulness and regard Tor the
comfort and safety OF their patrons.
Railroad managers must not be con-
sidercd knaves nor fools. They know
in common with other employers OF
labor that 1t is TO their mutual inter-
est to employ good men at good
wages; treat them well and advance
them according to their deserts.
Mr.. Gitterman would lay the blame
for railroad accidents upon the man
agement when the fact is that over
rs per cent Of them occur through
disobedience OF orders and non-com-
pliance with written and explicit in
gtruction.
Any one doubling this statement
will be respectfully referred to au-
upon the subject among
whom may be found one j. O.. Pagan
OF Massachusetts whose association
with the labor organizations is well
known and whose long service as a
employe entities him to be
n competent Judge of the rules and
regulations OF the service and whose
impartiality and candor compels him
to assert that the foregoing statement
is true. His book entitled "Confes-
or a Railroad Signalman," is
considered a standard work of excel
by all se~lf-respecttng citizens
desire the true relations between
arrangements and their en-
pIoycs to be made known to the end
their mutual dependence upon
another shall be appreciated and
confidence be restored.
Mr.. Pagan does not attribute the
disobedtcnce of orders to
any evil design, but the greater part
to the average American employees
inclination to intefpose his judg-
ment. in short to do as he pleases, to
be careless and TO AXE risks that
result IN an appalling loss of life and
property. This is not confined TO the
railroad service alone, but prevails in
all Industrial pursuits, No small part
of the blame too may be laid ut the
door of politicians and aw makers
who. stimulated by a desire to be
popular with the worklngman vie in
their efforts TO harrass the railroads,
thereby to advance their own
political ambitions To use the eX-
pressive language OF the June En-
ploycs Magazine. in a word of warm
Ing "The selection of such men for
is as hostile to your interest
ls to the railroads themselves. Every
burden cast upon the railroad
company, every reduction OF its reV-
and every additional tax upon
It's property renders the railroad
company less able to improve its
property or to advance our wages.
At this time when railroads are
Tor romunprative rates 20 en-
able them TO renew worn out track
n rolling stock. TO extend their
lines for the accommodation OF the
public, when they are meeting the
demands of their employees for higher
TO keep pace with the advanced
of living. they are met with
,harges of eXt0rtion and avariee.
Shippers and passengers are uniting
n a chorus OF condemnation n de-
.iunciation that lily COMFORTS with
heir professions OF sympathy for the
aboring man.
u Is 10 the everlasting disgrace Of
,ur republic that this trenzied war is
continued upon an institution that I
been foremost in contributing to
Ter glory and advancement. Let
second thoughts prevail and all :
nay yet lee well.
4. W. HARRIS. s
NhTH0f IT. h0lES MAKE q