Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-06
TRY TO PUSH CLOUDS AWAY
Conference to Be Held to Talk Over
Rate Situation.
RAILROAD MEN ARE PEssrM1sTs
Brown of the New York Central
Insists that Revenues of HaiI-
roads Have Been Greatly
Reduced,

Reduced.
NEW YORK. June 5.-(SpeciaI Teegram)
Two conferences that will be held next
week are likely to go a long way toward
clearing the clouds that now hang over
the railway rate situation President Taft
will give a hearing on Monday, in Wash
ington, to a large delegation of railroad
presidents who feel aggrieved over the in
junction suit recently brought by Attorney
General Wickersham to prevent an increase
In freight rates by the Western Traffic
association.
As the result, principally of the efforts
of George w. Perkins, the western railroad
presidents will hold a conference Tuesday.
James J. Hin, chairman of the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific, says:
This country has lived through some
stupid things. ! hope it can live through
this The administration can not take away
the railroads rights-we will so higher"
Ben Yoakum chairman of the board OF
the st. Louis & San Francisco railroad,
gives similar views:
This effort on the part of the different
political factions to popularize themselves
with the masses will reach turning point
the direction of lessenlng the middemen's
profits, bringing the producer and the con-
sumner closer in touch. What the country
wants is stability in business. which can
only come through stability of legislation"
Ripley stops Work.
L. p. Ripley, president of the Santa Fe
system, says:
I'VE have stopped work on our double
fV4an s,FN ~. -,
the coast. We have cut down the working
hours in some of our shops to half time,
and, il necessary. we will lay off many of
our men. 1t is absolutely necessary that
we, in some way, meet the increased cost
of maintenance and the decreasing earn
ings."
Vice President Park Of the Illinois Cen
trail:
1--WE have a number of big improvements
in view which we are deferring until we are
able to raise our rates and have q larger
income"
President Nudge, of the Rock Island:
I'VE have laid off about $500 men in
the last few months to make up for the
big drop in earnings. Unless the govern
ment permits us to increase our freight
rates. and in that increase our earnings,
we must meet the situation by cutting
down forces in the shops, shortening hours
and. canceling orders for equipment"
President Darius Miller, of the Burling-
ton:
Miller is Surprised.
THE articles and bylaws of our trunk
line association were framed with a view
to conform with the provisions of tn Sher-
man antitrust act, and IL they don't do
So all of our attorneys are poor lawyers.
We are greatly surprised at this attack, be-
cause of the fact that the past administra-
ton as well as the present one has pub
licly admitted that freight rates cannot be
made except by agreement between the
railroads"
Frederick d. Underwood, president of the
Erie:
IF the government stops the railroads
from increasing rates, the railways will
survive. They can limp along, but their
activities will be checked. The conditions
will be most serious. Not only Will the
great army of railroad employees suffer,
but workmen everywhere will feel the ef-
| fects"
President Delano, OF the Wabash:
our working force is being reduced and
we are still sailing very close to the windy We
have abandoned plans for extensive inn
|
pared for some time"
Another meeting that will have a strong
bearing on the situation will be held at
the Hotel Belmont in this city Tuesday, at
which representatives of the Railway Bust
ness association from ten states Will dis
cuss the rate situation.
The association is the national organ.
iation of the manufacturers of railroad
materials, equipment and supplies
Speaking of the purposes of the meet
ing, George A. Post, president of the
| association, said:
1T is probable that a strong appea
will be made to the public and to fed
| eral officials to consider in broad way
the necessities of the railroads and tC
| avoid the calamitous blunder of tecnni-
cal victories in litigation which may re-
suit in widespread Industrial distress.
VIII Ask Fair Treatment.
"All the Railway Business association
will ask is fair consideration by the duly
constituted tribunal of all freight rates
proposed and lawful adjudication after
all the facts have been presented
Freight rates cannot be fixed by yell.
1t is a business proposition"
Since the action of the government il
enjoining the raise in rates, a number OF
railroad presidents have outlined the po-
sition of the roads very clearly and uneiI
utterances afford a good line on the ar.
gument they will lay before Mr. Taft
Monday. w. c. Brown, of the New
York Central, SAYS:
"The railways of the United States
are receiving practically the same money
return for transportation today that ,ney
received ten years ago. Freight and pas.
senger revenues are practically the only
commodity prices in which there has
been no advance from the general leve
which prevailed a decade ago.
There can be no question as 10 me
higher cost of railway labor and
supplies. In the early part of 1907 tht
increases in the wages of employees
amounted to more than 500, 100000 {
year, and MISUNDERSTANDING that there
was no decrease or reduction in the rates
of pay of railway labor during the per
iod of depression there has been addeS
during the past ninety days, as a result
Of arbitration, a further increase in wages
Of approximately $125,O0O,OO0 per year.
In addition to this, state and fedora
laws limiting the hours Of service and tn,
fun train crew laws in most of the states
have added during the last four years I,
the cost of operating the railroads a