Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-30

S''uS mas Deen lelllng Lne
railroads to economize 1t looks as
if they mean to do it,
And now watch the hubbub that
will be raised by the administration,
by labor and by the public.
Out of every three dollars the rail-
roads earn they paw back approxi-
mately two dollars to labor. shere-
fore when retrenchment is forced.
labor must necessarily bear its share
OF the painful process. And since
wages can not be cut, the alternative
"a reduction in the number of work.
ers-has to be resorted to.
The Pennsylvania Railroad will lay
off total Of $4,000 men. according
to dispatches And a still larger
number will go on short time. The
same system has begun to lop off
trains here and there. a method of
economy that probably will be car
rled good deal further. Incident
ally, the directors have just reduced
both the common and preferred divi-
dends of an important subsidiary,
entailing, in addition to a loss of in
come to individual stockholders. a
substantial loss to the parent compa-
ny's treasury.
Pennsylvania example is certain
to be followed BY other roads In
deed, one line Some time ago thinned
5000 men from its ranks and will. /
understand, let others go as work
under way is completed
How will wholesale dismissals of
railway employees and part pay for
thousands of others affect the adj
ministration's status?
And what effect upon the public
mind is the abolition of many pas
senger trains to have?
The railroads must cut their suits
according to their cloth. Official sta
tistics issued show that for the seven
months to February l operating in
come decreased over Is per cent per
mile. The shrinkage In January was
more than rs per cent But taxes, of
course, instead of falling. rose 10 per
cent, a feature of the railroad stu
alton that is creating increasing I'M
easness.
Under such circumstances, and for
hidden by the Interstate Commerce
Commission to recoup themselves by
adding the slightest fraction to either
freight or passenger rates, what are
the railroads to do? To whom can
they turn? SO far the Interstate
Commission has "swatted" them in
season and out of season. State rail-
road commissions, taking their cue
from the Federal body, have shown
scant sympathy with the railroads in
their multiplying difficulties And as
for State Legislatures, nothing has
been too harsh or too foolish for
them 10 undertake in the way of
harassing transportation companies.
Laws throwing grave additional
and wholly unWarranted-burd
upon the already bent backs of the
railroads have been passed with ac-
clamation. A sure short cut to pop
ularity has been to jump on top Of
the railroads and pummel them un-
mercifully
But now that the day of reckoning
is dawning. the thoughtless politicians
may find they have been picking a
rod for their own unprotected backs.
Voters who find a favorite train has
been withdrawn will not be in a
pleasant frame Of mind. They will
want to know the reason why their
comfort and convenience have been
sacrificed
The railway employee who finds
himself without a job will also have
time and inclination to do some first
hand investigating of the why and
the wherefore of his discharge.
The railroads can not show the
same airy contempt for deficits that
the Federal Government can. The
nations balance sheet has not ball
anced this year-that is, more has
been going out than coming in. The
economy that has been recommended
for the railroads has not been adopted
by the Governments is so much
easier to recommend medicine than to
take it, The Government can indulge
in the widest and grossest pork bar
rel" extrava gances without fear OF
consequences since 1t has patient
and submissive lot of taxpayers to
fall back upon. The taxpayers have
to dance 10 whatever tune the politi-
clans care to play, but investors are
under no obligation to continue to
hand over their earnings to the rail-
roads Even governments can not
coerce an unwilling investor to invest
a single dollar.
For my part ! am hopeful that con-
ditiOns will shortly warrant cessa-
ton Of railroad retrenchment, at least
wagewise The latest limitations are
that certain important commodities
will he excluded from the rate in
creases to he granted the Eastern
roads. care being taken to benefit the
weaker companies a S much as posi-
BILE
The whole railroad position is so
full Of uncertainty that 1t behooVes
every man IN authority to bestir him
self TO remedy It without one days
aYoidable delay,
Every man laid off by the railroads
means less work for iron and steel
companies and for the whole chain OF
concerns that are linked to the well
fare of the railroads-one of them,
the Railway Steel Spring Company
failed to declare its dividend, and un-
less the current tendency is checked.
others WIN be obliged to disappoint