Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-10-01
DEAL JUSTLY BIZ THE RAILROADS.


The letter from the General Nam
ager OF the Central Of Georgia railway
70 The raininen and other employees q
the company. asking them for tkair ac-
tive cooperation with the officials d
he company IN their efforts 70 stag
further reductions in rates. and secure
advances that VII permit the corpora
ton 70 conduct us business prodtably
in view OF tie greatly Increased ex-
pense to which il Is put, is merely ,
following OF the example Of the Other
railroads. North and West, which
have appealed successfully TO their
emploges to stand with them in mat
Ter that is considered Of vital interest
TO both
There is no gains2ying the fact tina.
the railroads Of Georgia. and Of taa
South and the country as a whole. are
Under much heavier expense to-day
than in former times. During the past
few months further advances in wages
have been forced from them by th=
unions among their employees. These
advances have included all class Of
operating employees, engineers. fire.
men, conductors, shop hands, ete.
Then, IN addition. it IS a matter Of
common knowledge that all suppl >
used in the maintenance and operation
Of the roads cost much more than in
former years. We ali know the en-
HANGED values that generally prevail
and common sense tells Us that the ar
tic-es used by railroads must be in
cluded.
Until there has been an impartial
Investigation It is not possible for tie
public 10 know with any positigeness
whether the position Of the railroads
in asking for increased rates is justif-
able or not. II conditions are as tn ~
state, then it would seem that the Gu
ting of rates should cease and an u D
ward trend takes its place. There is
apparently much JUSTICE in the posi-
ton taken by General Manager Noise.
Of the Central. when he says:
Our rates Of freight and passen gor
fares are too low. This explains the
railroads position. Taxes rave il
creased. and 50 have most other ex-
penses- One way 10 economic would
be TO discontinue improvements, bL.
this would make for poorer service 10
the patrons. The only other way to
increase out net earnings is to advance
our charges.
A correct understanding Of TN
question Will inevitably lead tie put !.
&c to the conclusion that the success
and prosperity Of all interests will he
promoted by giving the railroads q
profitable rate for It's services. In thzt
way, and only in th-t way, can We
keep our forces fully employed al good
wages, and unless We can do this. the
farmer, the merchant, the manufactur-
or ard the real estate owner must al
suffer injury, because your purchase.
must be curtailed if your earnings are
reduced. Likewise, if you are idle
our purchases of supplies and mate~-
ais are reduced and ali other classes
Of labor, in the fields, the mines an
the factories, are adversely affected
The Georgia public slould be fai-
and open minded in this matter. II
should deal justly By the railroads AMI
if the operating expenses have reached
he point where profits lave been re-
duced to an unjust level, dfssipated err
tirely, then rates should be altered in
the railroads favor. Investors in rail-
roads are just as much entitled to de-
cent earnings on their property as in
yestors in mills, or real estate, or any
other agency by which capital is used
as money maker and at the same
time becomes q service to humanity.