The sun., 1910-06-19
RAILROAD CRISIS, SAYS hill
mr. PREDICTS BLOCKED LINES
IN NEAR FUTURE.
Can1 nandls Freight without Better
Terminals Cant Get the Money fee
Them Veteran Railroad Man Al
drrusrs WORKERS IN Annual CoaN Nentlou

! TermlnAls-CAh Get the Money fee
mrm-yessran Railroad Nan Ad-
dressra workers IN Annual ConNentlon
ST PAUL. Nlinn.. June is--HOld on TO
some Of your money
James J. Hlll. chairman Of the board
Of direCtors Of the Great Northern Rail
road. gave this advice at the 81. Paul
Auditorium this afternoon before the
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Firemen and
EnRinsmen in international convention.
Mr.. Hill COMPARED railroad earning
Of this and foreign countries and showed
how much better railroad msn are paid
here than abroad Then he took up the
earning capacity of railroads IN the United
states and told how adverse legislation
and prevailing high prices for material
and labor are cutting into these earnings
The future Of every railroad man In
lhiScountry. high or low. h facing crisia
sald Mr.. Hill. The cost Of living IN this
country has advanced enormously. Our
public men. I am afraid, do not study
the questions that affect the country a.
large, especially the conditions that
prevail. We are spending money 90
fast that there Is practically no compah-
sOn with other countries. The amount
Of money that we have taken out Of the
general industrial commerne Ia 30 large
that the money in the United States.
the richest country in the World. is too
scarce TO actually handle the business
we have 20 handle.
1T s only beginning to dawn upon the
people Of this country that the conditions
that are approaching. not slowly but most
rapidly. are such that no amount Of money
that n In sight or at ell available VIII Be
adequate To meet the situation satis-
fartorily Last winter railroads In the
Fast and West were blocked because
! they could not get freight out Of tor
minals I guess some OF ynu people aaf
on engines waiting for q chance 70 get In
many times and the sixteen hour law did
not cover YOU.
Nov adequate terminals TO handle the
business are necessary. mean places
ike IhicaRa. New York. Buffalo. Cleve-
iand and NinnaSpolis and ST. Paul. This
proposition is fill OF meaning 20 those
Who have to find money N pay Tor such
terminals Where " the money 10 come
from II the business doubles every five
vcarsl Where are We going 10 get the
terminals? Business will simply be
blocked
You men have this advantage, you
are getting good pay | am always
glad TO SO you getting good pay. and
hope that after buying your high heeleo
boots and fancy hats you will hold on 70
some Of your money and save u Tor a
later day, save Il as a prudent man
ought u
-But YOU canno, get this money unless
tho railroad sarns u You don't want to
work Tor a 10, Of bankrupt railways,
and roSeT want 10 have anything 10 do
witn q bankrupt TOad.
Tho time IL coming and Il 10 almost
nsrO. lt WAS here last winter u . good
crop "a harvested q this year Il will be here
EeNt winter Everything. as you know.
las advanced IN this country, not be-
a uss Of prices alone but because our
legislation tends toward further advances.
Tut tell me- Il you can. Il any man, how
ever able and industrious he may be,
,an find where anybody has been willing
that tho railroads should get any advance
IA their service
Now Il they do not get a chance my
word to you they won't be able 20 carry on
their husinaas a thoy have carried u on.
And it gill not only affect you but Il will
Affect every industry throughout the
country.
You had a little tasts Of Il in 1897. but
tho next time a depression Dvertakes the
business of this country ~ duration will
rot be mca cured by months. but by years.
by years Of great difficulty, simply be-
cause thn men who are making the laws
do not know the eifects Of their own acts
and they do not know what they are legis-
atinR about They think, a. one OF them
oppressed Il. that the railroads are there
anu cannot get aWav