Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-09-10

sage car i could get some water. L
did so. And there sitting on the floor
was new tin wash boiler half filed
with water and a generous piece of
Ice therein. Several women and chill
dren were then helped to the bag
gage car and their thirst relieved.
But, Mr. Editor, this was in the year
OF grace 1914 and on one of the trains
OF the great Pennsylvania railroad
corporation of which we are all
proud
IF either Of these instances are
doubted, let the proper officials of the
railroad or the Public Utilities Com
mission make inquiry and they will
not only be able to verify them but
VIII tlnd many more. Now the COM
panys excuse for these retrenchments
on the one hand and extortionate
fares on the other, is that it is in the
interest OF economy. To a man up a
tree, the frantic efforts of this great
I corporation to make receipts and eX-
penses equal, would be ludicrous were
they not so tragical. The man with a
rev hundred dollars per year could
teach these great financiers how to do
IT, were they not so blind. How does
ne do 1t? Simply by denying himself
an luXurles and keeping his expenses
! Wltnln MS salary. and not by robbing
another IN order that his income might
Teach. How does the Pennsylvania
'NoAiA odu Company 90 II
High Salaries Bad Feature
by continuing to pay the same
hlgh salaries to thousands of useless
oIlclaIs, many of whom live in ex-
tray dNasance far beyond their means,
ana aod lnconveniences and hardships
10 the poor bediveled patron on the
one hand and compel him to pay
hlgher rates for less and inferior serv-
ice on the other. Verify. this is a
iC
mere is safe and equitable
method, by which the expenses of this
great corporation can be safely and
sanely met without working hard
SHIPS to anyone. | am not wise nor
great but really think I have sense
enough to know that two and two
make Tour. Does the railroad COM
pany know as much? Here's the plan:
Il. Reduce the annual dividends
on all stock from six and seven per
cent to five, rate that was satisfac-
tory Tor many years. In these days
or stringency, when people of all
trades and professions are earning less
money IMAM formerly, why should the
stockholders of this company insist
that their income should be the same
as IN more prosperous times? Espe-
clally so, when scores of railroads and
other corporations are not paying divi-
dends of any kind.
2 Discharge every ornamental
employe from the high-salaried do
nothing to the "papa's boy" who
holdS job by virtue of the fact that
MS rather happens to be an employe
with a pull.
D. Reduce the salary of every Of
fcer and employe receiving in excess
or $4,000 per year salary. Millions of
dollars are squandered annually in the
payment of princely salaries to high
officials while their worthy servants
and employees are begging for bread.
"a Root out every needless ex-
traVagance. Is there anywhere a
man with sufficient temerity to at
tempt to explain the revenue produc-
ing virtues of the scores of private
cars, each costing a handsome for
tune and maintained at an annual eX-
pense of another fortune? why this
wicked waste?' Millions of revenue
could be supplied annually by looping
or such eXtraVagances without in the
least impafring the quality of the serv-
ice.
IS. Once and forever kill the pass
iniquity-the most monstrous injus-
tice and unfairness extant, granting
them only to the railroad pensioner
and the widows and minor children of
employees. BY what particular species
of side-stepping and genufieXion the
to convince the Public Utilities Com
mission that passes were part of sal
airy for service, the public has not
been advised. But il would not be
hard to guess. The railroad employees
are organized and are a power in poll
tics; the preacher and charity work.
ers are not, and therefore and so
forth-Selah!
IT have been associated with rail-
road people for many years, and /
have yet the first argument to hear
as to the fairness of granting passes
to their employees, crowding the trains
and compelling tired business men
who must pay for their transporta-
ton to stand. Will some one tell us
why the railroad man or his family
are any more entitled to free trans
portation than the man who deals in
any other commodity for another
should be entitled to that commodity
for nothing? Many of our most self
respecting railroad people are dis
gusted with the whole pass evil and
would welcome its complete abolition.
Millions more of revenue could thus
be saved and the size and expense of
all trains be diminished.
"In these and other ways could the
railroad company secure sufficient
revenue to meet all honest expenses,
without further harassing the patrons
of the company or causing untold suf
fering in the homes of scores of thou
sands of their faithful employees. Will
it and the Public Service Commission
deal fairly with the public?
"CARPIO.D