The Washington herald., 1914-06-03
HIGHER FREIGHT RATES.
Writer Says They Will Be Forced by
~. Demands of Labor.

"Hter Bays Ihey Will be Forced by
Demands of Labor.
Glen B. winship. in New York Pre~
IL you were doing the same work for
~ that your neishbor was doing for 81
sou would feel abused. III, under such
circumstances. your employer said you
were overpaid. you would be about
ready to fight. But IL you couldn't find
snotaer job you would keep right on
working. even though your employer
shaved the 81 every year or So
Imagine yourself In such a plight,
and you will have some idea of how
railroad managers feel when they are
required to spend thousands of dollars
and TO devote month after month try
ing to convince the Interstate Com
merce Commission they are entitled to
more pay.
it In easy to condemn the railroads.
Their garments are not spotIess. hut Il
In unjust to notice the spots and moth
Ing else. Their merits as well as their
faults should be acknowledged.
ONE OF THOSE MERITS Is THAT
THEY ARE GIVING BETTER sERy-
ICE FOR LESS MONEY THAN THE
RAILROADS OF ANY OTHER COUN-
TRY IN THE WORLD.
Rates Compared.
Averaging freight rates in this coun-
try. it cost the shipper less than 3
cents to send one ton of freight four
miles.
Judging by the latest returns avail
able. il would cost 81 cents to send a
similar shipment four miles in Ger
many. 5 1-3 cents in France, SO cents
In Austria. IL 2-3 cents in Switzerland.
a little less than 5k cents in Holland
and more than 81 cents in Spain.
Returns from the United Kingdom
are far from complete. but after cut
ting the estimate usually given IL still
Is three times the average rate in this
Every one knows conditions are radi-
'ally different in Europe than in America.
but when rates charged there and here
are so lar apart the natural conclusion is
that American rates are too low.
As a general proposition. a railroad
operating through a thickly populated
section of the country can carry freight
more economically than one operating
through a section which is sparsely pop
llated (other conditions being equal. The
reason for this is that increase in popu-
alton tends to increase the density of
raffic
The reader knows Europe is far more
hickly populated than America.
Mileage of railroads IL another impor-
ant consideration.
Suppose that in a given territory there
ire on an average five miles of railroad
o every 10.oO0 inhabitants. IL you double
he railroad mileage without increasing
he population the natural inference
would be that the average amount of
reight for each mile OF railroad would
,e cut in half
Mileage Figures.
1t is difficult to obtain up-to-date rail-
way statistics from Europe, but taking
he 1911 figures as basis for comparison
here Were less than five miles of rail-
DAD 10 every 1000 inhabitants in Europe
md more than twenty-six miles of rail-
cad in the United States to every 1000
Inhabitants
Despite this double advantage for Eu-
opean roads, American roads are carry
ng as much freight per mile of road"
.xact comparisons are impossible. In
arts of Europe traffic density is greater
han here. and in other parts il is small
pr, and for many European roads there
re 10 returns OF this character.
The amount OF traffic handled
peaks well for this country and the
ate at which u Is carried speaks well .
or American railroad efficiency.
Without great efficiency they could .
ot carry freight af current rates and
tRy out of bankruptcy.
Statistics indicate concIusiyeIy that
merican railroads generally can boast /
greater mechanical efficiency and |
renter human efficiency than the
verage European rsad.
Wages Here and Abroad.
The truth of this statement is even |
lore apparent when wages paid by
ailroads here and abroad are taken /
lto consideration. Wages consume |
bout "A per cent OF railway revenues !
1 this country and make up about |
~o-thirds of railway operating ex-
enses. The reader will see readily
ow essential it is. in considering the
Istice or injustice of prevailing
-eight rates. to compare wages paid
ere and in other countries.
A general estimate based on latest
Y yaiIable statistics Is that the aver
ge wage of the American railroad en-
loye Is about twice that of the Euro
can railroad empIoye.
1t should he remembered, however.
rat II costs the American more to live
lan it costs the European. \ liberal
is that the living cost in this
Duntry is not more than 50 per cent
iGher than in Europe on the average.
he American railroad employe there
IRE. is much better off than his Euro
can brother, although il costs him
ore to live.
ave been going up steadily in this
,untry. but freight and passenger rates
ave been standing still or going down
Figures compiled by the British Board
Trade revealed that the average wace
railway employees in the United King
lm was less than half the average wage
railway employees in this country in
n.
This is startling comparison when it
realized that the average in the United
tates increased more than II per cent
ON 1910 to 1873. and that another big
ivance will be shown when 1914 figures
-e compiled.
Yearly Averages.
In 1913 the average amount paid to
Iilway employees in the country was 500. I
atest available averages in other coun- 1
les follow: German Empire, s392: Aus
Ia, $322: Hungary. se99: Russia, s2Oi; I
rance, $50. and Italy, S345. '
Official statistics from Switzerland have :
It included the wage feature since 1907 1
he average for that year was $297. Even
e employees which came under the I
of general administration
ceived an average Of only siS6 in a '
ar. I
American railroad managers do not 9
ant to place their employees on the low I
age scale which prevails abroad. Many I
them do believe wages have been ad- {
need too rapidly. but they would not (
ind that so much If they We're per- {
tilted to charge high enough rates to $
axe up part of the wage Increases. II
Nor is the wage argument the Onlv ono