Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-14
Star Bureau,
Metropolitan National Bank Bldg,
WASHINGTON, July II.


WASHINGTON, July II.
Threats of a great railroad strike
which, if declared will tie up the
= mails and. express service, paralyze
business and menace the great cities
of the country with famine, may force
upon the President and Congress an
issue that will make the tariff and
currency questions matters of Sec
ondary interest and Importance.
In the event of failure on the
part of the government to prevent
the strike by forcing arbitration upon
the unwilling railroad managers, the
issue of the government ownership
of railroads may be brought to a head
in wholly different way from that
in which it has been urged.
Not since the great coal strike in
the anthracite fields has the country
been on the eve of a labor dispute
of such broad and vital public in
terest and Importance. Never in the
history of the country has a difference
between capital and labor been so
near blocking traffic and sitting
commerce.
Cessation of freight traffic in and
out of New York city alone, for a
single day, will mean the death of
thousands of children. through the
stoppage of the milk supply. A tie
up of railroad traffic for a week will
bring all the great cities of the
East to the threshold of starvation
shut down the mills and factories
which cannot receive or ship mate
rails and products, and cut off the
oil n fr41 10
millions of industrial workers.
Because the Unitedi States has
never experienced a great railroad
strike tying up the traffic of the coun-
try or any large section for any APP
preciable period, the country has not
yet learned fully the relation between
transportation and the life of the
nation.
So far as it has crept into National
politics, discussion of the railroad
and transportation problem, as one
of public Importance, has been timid
and superficial. 1t has been general
ly recognized that the era of railroad
building, begun only sixty years ago,
revolutionized the whole complexion
of national life, industry and com
merce. 1t has been urged by the rail-
because they have built railroads and
contributed to public convenience and
prosperity, they should be richly re-
warded and permitted to operate
their roads as they please and charge
such rates as they please. And for
many years this plea was commonly
concurred in.
Rebate Rumors Stir Country.
A few years ago there was a COM
motion throughout the country, which
finally reached Congress, over the !
charge that systems of rebates and
determinations by the railroads en-
abled some manufacturers and ship |
pers to enjoy better terms than others. |
There was legislation to cure this,
and the Interstate Commerce Com |
mission became an important factor
in the commerce of the country. |
There has been some complaint that
rates were too high, that railroad
securities were greatly watered, and
that high rates and fares eXacted to
pay interest and dividends on these
watered securities constituted a
heavy burden of taxation upon the |
whole country and added materially
TO the cost of living. So little public |
information has there been on this |
subject, however, and so compare
lively little has it been agitated, that
the average man has not fully re-
aazeo us significance 10 MN III MS
uaiiS NO anu ca
Depatea TOT years IN congress-
After several years OIL democratic de-
pate IN congress, law mas peen
mace ior the valuation OF the trans
portatlon Iacllltles OIL the country, !
Whlch VIII not De completed, 1t is SAID,
ior ten years longer. In the mean
tlrhe' rallroad experts ADMIT that
many piinohs OF minated values Were
aoea TO rallroau securities out assert
.hat increased Vaine Oh lands owned
ny the rdllroaos VIII more imam OH
SET whatever wafer or hctltlous
values ever existed IN the STOCKS ana
pohus' Desplte the TACT mat the
water injected INTO rallroao' express
ana otner transportation securities
withlh the iast quarter century or So
ii"S piopdpiy dHiouhteu 10 Ten IiiilSS