The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-27

trial decisions Of the bench. The rail
roads have been seeking for some years
back TO secure mitigation of the burden
they are bearing because of increa sed
cost of the materials and a constant
lacking up of wages upon the one hand
and the strait jacket OF inability TO in.
| crease freight rates or passenger fares
| upon the other, Tho most experienced
railroad men in the country are pre-.
way that would be disastrous TO the
public welfare unless some measure of
relief may be found. This appears
from the Holland letter IN the
October 10 Issue OF the Ameri-
can The labor demands are in.
satiste, and every increase of wage in
any of the industries subsidiary to the
roads or upon the roads themselves
means just that much subtraction from
possible profits without means for re-
couplng Ever since the panic Of 1907,
the railroads have been under the bur
den of ever-increasiug wage demands
and added costs, and yet they have been
debarred from making advance In rates.
The country has experienced great pros.
perity, but the railroads have been kept
out from the promised land. The time
is at hand when the roads will ask to
have rates advanced to offset tho addi-
tlonal burdens thoy bear and to enable
them to expand in behest TO the de-
mands of traffic and to keep up their
rolling stock and to generally maintain
their equipment. Yet they will do so
under the popular pressure TO keep them
subject to the rates aud cxactions now
imposed through the commission. The
country is sympathetic with the de-
mands of the roads to the extent they
are interpretive Of the general advance
in costs that are feature Of the times.
They know that TO starve the traffic
companies is to throttle trade.
The interplay of interest between a
large number of industries and the rail
roads carries the reflex of the condi-
tions into the homes Of innumerable
workers of the land. The people are
vitally affected thereby, The roads
have had to expand; they have had to
spend more than their earnings. This is
situation too full of critical signifi-
cance to be lost upon the minds of
thoughtful persons. Not only do not net
earnings upon the outstanding stock
rise, but they are falling, and multi
tudes of modest stockholders who dc.
pend upon their railroad holdings for
their support are seriously affected
thereby. As 60 the railroads so goes the
country. The flood or ebb tide of their
prosperity marks the flood or ebb tide of
the country 8 welfare. Their protection
from irksome and impossible burdens is,
therefore, in the interest of millions of
workers and of millions Of others who
are not directly related to the industries
Immediately involved in the prosperity
of the railroads.
1t is not to bo supposed that the in
terstate commerce commission in its
eagerness to reflect popular prejudice
against an advance in the earning ca
pacity of the roads through increase of
rates would push any Of them into
bankruptcy, and yet there is reason to
apprehend that the matter Of an in
crease In rates must be looked at with
absolute frankness or the consequences
will prove most serious to the country.
Batting railroads is n harbarous sport
of the past, and when the roads present
their demands the interstate commerce
commission is bound to regard them in
the broadest manner as reflecting the
interests of the country and, therefore,
not to be passed upon in a narrow
spirit.-Balt1more American.