The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-04
SHALL GOVERNMENT
OWN THE RAILROADS?
Exhaustive Discussion Of the Question by Leading Men Of the
Rail Shows Divergence of Opinion, and Helps Much in
Getting Interested Concerns Closer Together

of the railways find themselves in II
due TO changed conditions and
changes in policies. Thirty or more
years ago every sort OF an inducement
was held out to encourage capital to
build railroads, and 1t would appear
to the railway investor of today that
after the public had gotten the full
benefit of this policy it had to put on
the thumb screws. However. people
outside of the railroad profession
realize today that q very large percen-
tage of the mileage OF the United
States Is not only an asset. but Is
source of expense and positive
liability"
The railroad question Is discussed
by julius Kruttschnitt, chairman of
the Southern Pacific company, and
president of the American Railway
association, and by w. l., Park. vice.
president of the Illinois Central. Mr..
Kruttschnitt urges several improve
ments In the laws providing for
mediation, conciliation and arbitration
Of controversies between the railways
act" he says. docs not go far enough
and is distinctly less useful and EN-
cient in maintaining industrial peace
than the Canadian Cancellation ana
labor act" The act. in his opinion,
should apply to all railway employees
engaged In interstate business, instead
OF being confined to those engaged in
train service or train operation only
Increase In Expenses.
As railway expenses are frequently
increased as the result OF arbitra-
ton, Mr.. Kruttscnitt declares 1t IL
important that this board should be
closely co-ordinated with, or In some
way subordinated to the Interstate
commerce commission. SO that the
tribunal responsible for increasing the
expenses of the roads should incur
corresponding responsibility Tor 40
tusting rates that will meet the expen-
| ditures Therefore, he suggests that
| the ffth an dsixth members OF the
larbitration board should be named by
| the Interstate commerce commission
and should really be its representa-
tives He also sees a defect in the act
because there is no Obligation 70
either employer or employe to submit
differences to mediation. This defect
strike Illegal until the question at.
! issue shall have been thoroughly In
Investigated and given to the pubic:
that mediation shall not be optional
but obligatory on both parties 80 tnat
the public may Judge intelliEently the
matters In dispute.
| The labor question on tho railways
Is not altogether q pcCuHioty OH0s -
tcording to w. L. Park, vice-president
of the Illinois Central. The discipline
OF the employees to secure the maxi
mum of safety and efficiency lie q
component part OF the problem The
railroads." he says. by reason OF their
attitude to the public, are particularly
Vulnerable to concerted movements on
the part OF employees. The psycho1osi-
cal effect Of labor aristocracy has be-
come manifest in divers ways, mono
more seriously than In the tendency
arbitrarily to support those who may
be members Of an organization. or
Eby federation. those OF allied orkani-
cations, who are derelict In matters
affecting the safety Of lives and prop
erty. This growing Independence OF
faction amounting to almost an insuD-
ordination Is a serious matter. why
should not the railways standardize
wages and discipline" he asks. Just
as the government would do II Il
|owned and operated the railroads!
Should there not be code OF reguia-
ton prescribing the duties not
only the employees but of the ofhcers.
lin so far as they relate to transpor-
|tation matters? There should be
prescribed efficiency tests. physical
requirements and pension system