The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1914-12-25
FARMER VITALITY CON-
CERNED in RAILROADS
WHAT THE EUROPEAN WAR MEANS TO THE
AMERICAN FARMER

papers, for hardly a day passes that
the press is not full of comment
about. the hungry thousands who
stand in the bread line" and patron
| lie the free "soup houses in every
large center of population. Nor is
this state of affairs due to the policy
of any particular political party, but
rather the outgrowth of conditions
which have been slowly but surely
crystalizing for a number OF years.
in the first place, the Corn Belt-the
great bread basket of the nation
mas had a series OF slim crops in most
sections, and this naturally has had
depressing effect upon business
conditions Again, we have been
passing through period of indus
trial readjustment - OF changing
from the loose methods which pre-
vailed a dozen or so years ago over
to a policy of strict government con
troll of public service corporations
and sharp inquiry into the conduct
OF all other large corporations-and,
in trying to stamp out the abuses oil
the past, the pendulum has swung
so far in the other direction that so
lar as the railroads are concerned,
at least, 1t threatens to precipitate
the most of them which are not al
ready in the hands OF receivers upon
The rocks of financial wreck and ruin.
That the depressed financial condi-
ton of the railroads is largely re
sponsibe for the great army OF UNI
employed was wildly demonstrated
Oy "a prominent st. Louis newspaper
the other day when 1t showed thai
nine st. Louis manufacturing estaD-
lishments which deal in railroad sup
plies employed 1853 men one yeal
ago, whereas now they employ only
1903, with reduction in their pay
rolls amounting to $5SS,7OO PEI
month, or over seven million dollars
year. If the effect upon only nine
enterprises is as far reaching as this,
what would the figures show II they
were available for similar industries
and the hundreds of other enter
prises affected in a greater or less
degree throughout the country!
Nearly all OF these concerns have OIL
nand hundreds of thousands of dol
lars worth of finished equipment
which was ordered by the railroads
year or so ago, but which they
have not been able to pay for; in
the meantime, not being able to pay
for goods already ordered, the rail
roads are not placing any new con
tracts, and unless they receive speedy
assistance from the Interstate Com
merce Commission and the rate-mak
ing authorities of the different states
the tendency will be for labor condi-
tons to grow gradually worse rather
than better.
In last weeks article we referred
to the fact that the railroads are the
largest employers of labor in TIL
United States and that during the
last fiscal year they paid out over
thirteen hundred million dollars In
wages to the army of men and wo
men who conduct their business. We
also referred to the fact that they
paid out almost thousand million
dollars for steel, coal, lumber anG
other supplies, Of which they are the
largest consumers in the country
and therefore the chief support OF
the hundreds of thousands employed
in these great industries.
In view of these facts, is it not
plain to any thinking man that it is
of tremendous Importance to the
whole country that the railroads be
permitted to earn reasonable In
come If the millions of American la
boring men are to be kept probably
employed?
Does not any man know that If the
thousands who are this momen
hunting for work in Chicago, St
Louis, New York, Pittsburgh, Cleve-
land and other large cities were
profitably employed that it would
mean higher price for what the
farmer has to sell and that 1t would
be reflected in the receipts of every
merchant and the output of every
factory in the nation?
In view of such a serious state of
affairs, can the average farmer OIL
business man afford to oppose the
small increase in rates which is nee.
essary to once more put the railroads
upon a sound basis? Is not the
amount of passenger fare or freight
which the average farmer or other
citizen pays out during the year a
mere bagatelle when measured
against the the lucrative employment
and the buying power of the millions
of American laboring men?
Another Serious Phase
Important as is the employment OF
labor, there is another very serious
phase OF this problem which calls for
profound thought at the hands of all
thinking citizens, and especially the
farmer. In last weeks article we
cited the fact that in their desperate
efforts to make both ends meet, many
railroads are burning the candle at
both ends"-that in order to bolster
up their securities and keep out OF
the hands of receivers the rolling
stock and roadbeds of many lines
have been deteriorating rapidly for
a number of years and hence are in
no position to handle big seasons
tonnage, should the strain Of a heavy
crop year suddenly descend upon
them. That the great foreign war
will produce the highest prices ever
known for the foodstuffs produced