Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1915-01-14
Millions Stolen From Railroads;
Workers Denied Decent Condition

toned by the managers committee.
"a Is per cent increase would require
S11, sos 200 and raise of only . per
cent would involve an expenditure OF
So, 1886, 400.
More lProfits-Warf More Wages.
An epoch-making SIT If exhibits deal
ing with the inereas, d productive ell
cheney of engineers and firemen on
Western railroads had been prepared
by Expert Lauck and were offered in
evidence. Observers who watched
these developments declared that Mr..
Lauck and the two brotherhoods were
establishing a precendent upon which
virtually all future wage movements
in other lines probably would be based
The idea is, according to Mr.. Lauck,
that inasmuch as the employer in
creases his profits year by year, just
so far should the employe be given
a proportionate monetary reward. MI
FLauck claimed that the high wall that
is set forbiddingly between capital and
labor will be broken down when this
humanitarian principal is recognized
by capital The intimation was that
the day of profit sharing is at hand.
Rock island Rottenness.
The. rottenness of the Rock Island
and Great Western congratulations
were touched on Wednesday, Unfor-
tunately for the companies, James M.
ISheean their counsel, paved the way
| by criticizing Rock Island chart IN
Exhibit al. One thing led to another
| and finally Grand Chief Engineer Stone
broke in and asked of the witness:
"You have an exhibit showing the
financial history of the Rock Island
Railroad, have you not?"
eyes, sir"
"Then it is possible for us to take
| the roof off the Rock Island Company
AMI let everybody here look down in
side and see what the read trouble
back of the roads showing was?" per
sisted Mr.. Stone.
~Yes, sir, believe so," replied the
witness.
swell, then, we shall offer that
/ later" declared the Grand Chief En-
gineer.
! Witness, Lauck a little later the
same day was reading quotations from
annual reports of railroads to their
stockholders and while considering the
Chicago Great Western something was
said about the reorganization of that
road. MT. Lauck in his upual dispas-
I sionate manner said that he under
stood j. P. Morgan & Co. were given
a fee of 100000 for floating certain
Great Western bonds.
"Isn't it true that 70 per cent dctt
tious capital stock was put on the mar
ket at that time and sold to innocent
purchasers?" inquired Grand Chief
Stone.
Undoubtedly that is true retorted
Mr.. Lauck, "and it is my understand
ing that Mr.. Morgan sold $4,000, 900
in first mortgage bonds of the Great
Western Company very easy thing
at that time because the road was not
mortgaged at all-for which act he or
his company was given fee of $780,
900. / never understood what services
lwere performed by Mr.. Morgan to re-
quire such large commission. have
also heard that the syndicate which
exploited the Great Western made
something like $6,000,000."
Dozen Lines Dominate.
That ten or dozen Western trunk
lines virtually dominate the railroad
situation in that part of the country
was a statement by Mr.. Lauck on Fri
day. Oh. B. Byram, Vice President OF
the Burlington a member of the ar
bitration board, had just asked the wit
ness if it we're not unfair to spread
over all the lines, weak and strong
alike, an arbitrary wage increase.
Il do not think So" answered the
witness, because it is my contention
that ten or q dozen of the Western
trunk lines exercise control over mos
of the AFeaker lines. We shall show
that tehse smaller roads should not be
looked upon as separate corporate
units but should be considered part
of the larger and stronger systems.
II have in mind, for instance, the Chi
cago Terminal Railroad which / be-
lieve is a single corporate entity but
as a matter of fact is owned by the
Baltimore and Ohio and in my opinion
should be considered part of that
system"
Charles Nege1, neutral member of
the board, said that Mr.. Lauck doubt
less was holding to his original conten-
ton that regardless of how prosperous
or otherwise q certain road or roads
might be the wage increase must APP
ply to all alike AFr. Lauck said in
reply to Mr.. Nagel that he seriously
believed in that theory.
Southern Pacific crookedness.
Just for q moment little later that
day the skeleton Of the old southern
Pacific company was dengled before.
the arbitrary board Grand Chief En-
gineer Stone asked Mr.. Lauck II he