The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-20
RAILWAY CRISIS
RESULTED TODAY
It IS BELIEVED
Continued From Page One.)

OF Railway Conductors have full
charge of the negotiations, and any
steps taken by the railroad men will
be through them. They are extremely
optimistic, regarding the outcome, and
feel sure that in view of the prosper
Gus outlook and the high cost of liv-
ing that prevails the railroad officials
will see the justice of their demands
In official circles, however, a diff
ferent atmosphere prevails, and al
though the heads of the railroads are
extremely reticent on the present sit
uation. they have made elaborate pre-
parations to meet the situation. Since
the news of the proposed demand first
became public, the heads of the vari-
Gus lines affected have had numerous
consultations with a view of drawing
up some form of settlement. A press
bureau has been established in New
York through which they have en-
deavored to present their side Of the
case. AS an argument against higher
wages. they say that during the panic
they did not follow the example of
thousands of other commercial organ
reduce wages, but kept them up to the
previous standard, despite the fact that
they were suffering a heavy financial
loss. Now they argue. they should be
allowed to make up this deficit before
granting any wage demands.
Have Press Bureau.
Another argument which has been
presented through their press bureau,
disputes the stand taken by the en-
ployes regarding the higher cost Of
living They claim that, according to
official statistics, the present cost of
living is only l per cent higher than
1t was in the first part of 19O7-when
the era of prosperity reached its high
water mark.
During the panic the cost of living
decreased considerable. according to
their figures, and then took jump fol-
lowing the gradual return of prosperi-
ty. They state that. although the pres
ent cost of necessities Is considerably
higher than it ever was in 1903, it rep
resents only slight increase over the
cost Of living during the first part Of
1907.
w. c. Brown. president of the New
York Central and generally considered
the spokesman for the railroad lines
east of the Mississippi. in a recent
speech In Boston gave some startling
figures regarding the increase in the
cost Of living since 1898. He said in
part:
Prices Are Menace.
THE most portentious cloud discern
ible upon the political or economic
horizon at this time is the steady. re-
lentless increase in price of every
thing that goes to make up the cost of
living.
with a succession Of bountiful har-
vests the price of grain has steadily
advanced until the prices Of 19OS-19O9
show increases over those Of 1898 as
follows:
Corn, an increase of 1112 per cent
Oats an increase of S5.1 per cent.
Wheat an increase o59.5 per cent.
Potatoes an increase Of 7O.5 per
cent"
In previous Interview President
Brown spoke on the high cost Of liv-
AAS, uul sdlu lAdl IL wages "eIe du-
vanced on the railroads there would
have to be an increase in freight rates.
Although the demands presented af-
feet only the conductors and trainmen
1t is understood that the firemen, en-
gineers and switchmen. as we'll as the
telegraph operators are making prepar-
atoms to demand a general increase.
One or two lines have already brought
about a settlement Of the difference
with the engineers and firemen.
The number of railroad employees af-
fected should this demand be made,
would be 1872, O74. and their annual
wages made an aggregate of 1.O72.3S6,.
327. The average per man is GAL per
year.