Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-30
ENGINEERS ARE HERE
Brotherhood Welcomed to
Washington by W. F. GUIDE.
SPEECH BY T. v. P0WDERLY
Blames Cold Storage for High Cost
of Living.
DEVELOPMENT OF RAILROADS
Convention to Hold Business Ses-
sions Today and Tomorrow-Jew-
els of Honor Distributed.
DEVELOPMENT OF RAILROADS

torium of Odd Fellows Temple
William L. Guide, president of the
Chamber of Commerce, which was urge
ly responsible for the presence of the
convention in this city. welcomed the
delegates. T. V. Powderly made the prin
cipal address of the evening.
The program of the convention calls
for business sessions today and tomor-
row.
Odd Fellows Hall was crowded to the
doors at the hour set for the opening of
the convention last night. The loca:
committees In charge of the entertain
ment features provided a series of must
cal numbers between the speeches.
One feature of the evening was the
presentation of teweis of honor to men,
berS of the brotherhood who have been
automatically retired from active duty
this year on account of reaching the age
limit. The presentations were made by
+. Rogers, captain of division No. 16o.
Mr.. Powderly's Address.
Discussion Of various factors entering
into the high cost Of living was the prin-
cipal topic discussed by Mr.. Powderly.
He declared the increased cost Of living
could in no way be attributed to the
existing rates for freight transportation
of fooostuffS.
He presented statistics to show that the
freight rate per ton mile has decreased
from 90 cents in 1850 to 50 cents in 1909.
He also presented figures to show that
the farmers are receiving higher prices
for their products at the present time
than ever before.
Citing the egg market as typical
illustration of the methods followed in
handling foodstuffs nowadays, Mr..
Powderly said:
Let us invade our neighborine state
of Virginia for the purpose of buying
eggs: We will find it difficult, if not i'm
possible, to buy any eggs from the
Regularly every day man
drives his wagon up to the henhouse
and takes away the eggs. These eggs
are placed in cold storage plant and
are kept there for weeks. months or
years, and are not placed on the market
until the agency that corneyed them can
get its own price for them.
Il am Informed that farmers get from
II to Ii cents dozen for their eggs
You'll have to pay 35 or 40 cents for
them.
The great bulk of the eggs can be
cold-stored and kept off the market in
order to keep prices up at top notch. An
have been laid three years ago
and in the natural order should have
been food three years ago.
Would Regulate Cold Storage.
What is true Of eggs-is true of nearly
every other article Of food. Don't you
see that the cold storage plant is more
potent in increasing the cost Of living
than any other factor? 1t must be
apparent that the control Of the cold
storage process is a matter. for state
regulation.
Il cited Virginia. But Maryland. Penn
sylvania or Nebraska would serve just
as we'll. for they are all in cold storage
now. From source which I regard as
authentic the information comes to me
that in the last ten years the number of
cold storage concerns has more than
trebled.
1T would appear that while our states
are demanding congressional action they
should get busy and make it a criminal
offense to corner or coop up foodstuffs in
refrigerator for longer period than
three or four months. Maybe l am wrong
but you just think it over and you'll
reach a conclusion as to what is right
Development of Railroads.
Leaving the question Of the high cost
Of living. Mr.. Powderly. who said he had
spent several years of his life as a loco
motive engineer. gave a vivid portrayal
Of the progress of railroading in the
United Sta.es
Locomotives or brotherhoods of locomo-
tive engineers weren't known even a hun
dred years ago. he said. THE cid Stom-
bridge Lion, the first engine to run On a
railroad track in this Country and haul
it's train of five coal cars over the level
between Carbonate and Honesdale, Pa,
on the Delaware and Hudson road didn't
puff until 1929.
"In 1880 there were four. locomotives
and less than 100 cars Of all kinds in the
United States. Last year we had u 90
Ino
=. 1851 co. freight, baggage and mail cars
running over 3SS33 776 miles of track in this
country.
Figures mean little when hurriedly
mentioned. But when you reflect on the
length of these cars you'll get some idea
Of the Importance of the people who can
keep them full of the product of mine.
mill and factory and Of the Importance
to the nation and the world of the men
who hold the throttles en- the 61.0D0 loco
motives that haul these cars.
sit takes 132 freight cars to make
mile. The freight cars alone. If coupled
together would make train 1921 miles
long. Here again figures mean little; but
that train of cars would reach from Yok-
ohama in Japan across the Pacific to San
Francisco, from there across the CONT
nent to New York. from New York across
the Atlantic to London. from London
back to New York and from New YORK TO
a point 257 miles west of Omaha. Neb.
Just reflect that 81 eco men like your
selves hold in their left hands the lives.
wealth and prosperity OF this natioi, and
that to the duty of moving that stu
pendous train they give the best that Is
to be found on earth in thought, care, ell
fort and fidelity.
Pennsy's Pension Plan.
THE Pennsylvania railroad was the
pioneer in inaugurating pension feature,
the funds to be taken from the revenues
Of the company. This department was
established and went into effect jan
uary l, 1900. 1t provides for the retire
ment of employees at certain ages and
under certain conditions after stated
number Of years of faithful service.
From the sixty-third annual report or
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company L
learn that on the 31st Of last December
there were 1920 pensioners on the roll OF
the pension department, and that the
amount appropriate ted for the maintenance
of the fund was 100000. To me this
indicates the company appreciates the
services rendered by its employees. and
that their devotion to the interests of
the company and their increased eff1clency
warrants that appreciation.
Mr. Powderly closed his address by |
voicinE a tribute to the work OF the |
7 a dies Auxiliary Of the brotherhood.
Other speakers were Grand Officer |
Warren s. Stone and Granville Hunt. |
chief Of the registry division Of the Post |
Office Department
The local committee of engineers in |