The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-04-03

American railroads have reduced
their forces by fully 250,OOO men anu
have cut working hours
And this staggerin" total wlll pc
seriously swelled unless conditions
promptly improve.
signed communications the New YORK
american has received from tie pres
dents OF our leading railroad sys-
Normally. our railways employ ap-
pr.oxim-teIy 100000 men. = .
per cent reductiou-wh which is uhuei
rather than over the rT.arH means
255. 900 men.
one point emphasized by ;sll rail
road bcads is that retrenchment Is
not a matter Of this week or last, but
has been in force for several months.
Also the reduction in forces, II
i pointed out, has not been equal 70
the falling of in net earnings
Withdrawal OF passenger trains rs
ro,y engaging the attention. Of ofIic-
ers ECONOMY in this direction IS
likely to be carried good deal fur
= Among the companies already
heard from. with The reduction IN
forces. as compared with a year ago,
are the following:
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad 49,. $4,000
!
Norfolk and Western ...... S,VOO
Northern Pacific ...-..... @'ooU
New Haven 4'oOu
I.ehigh Valley ...-....... S,oUV
Baltimore < Ohio (unothcial) 1O,30o
Missouri Pacific (unoffic alb 10. 600
b. c. Forbes, in New York Amer
lean.
President Willard, OF the Baltf-
more and Ohio Railroad Company,
told the Interstate Commerce Com
mission that the railroads were rae
ing crisis. What else but Crisis
is a rapidly decreasing margin be-
tween earnings and expenses? what
else is the failure of increased in
yastment to keep earnings up 10 the
point form erly rea ched with smaller
outlay of capitaI? What else is the
necessity for laying off vast armies OF
arnnIoyes? We speak of this blow to
labor as a crisis for the railroads be-
cause it Is always critical thing
fer an employer to be compelled 70
disorganize his staff OF workmen
gradually built up and educated to
state Of efficiency. The railroads viii
not recover in many months from the
setback caused by the present period
or enforced economy.
The figures with regard to earnings
and operating expenses Introduced
1y MT. patterson, GtLSA d COuAAs'GA -
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company,
tell how serious the crisis is. Oper-
ating revenue OF Eastern railroads
decline. Of S51, 100000, or 22.5 per
cent in the seven months preceding
January 3, 1914, as compared with
those of the corresponding seven
months OF the perceding year. In
the same period the operating reve-
nue. OF the railroads Of the Central
Freight Association showed q de-
crease of S25,O0O.o 900, or 30.7 per
cent. On the three principal railroads
ar the Enst-the New York Central,
the Pennsylvania and the Baltimore
and ohio-reyenue declined S26. U00,-
600, or 2f.S per cent.
1t IS not only 4 crisis for the fall
roa5s. II IS 4 crisis for public regu-
lat!on or tho railroads. The Tribune
says this with reluctance, having
been forced to the conclusion. This
paper has long been an advocate OF
pubic regulation and has urged and
1 cfnded al sesibIe extensions OF
1t. But It is a serious thing that pub
lie regulation should have brought
the railroads to the condition N
which they are today and shocld be,
slow to afford relief -almost incoln-