Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-14


we'll known to every reader OF news
papers-for hardly day passes tna'
the press Is not full Of comment about
the hungry thousands who stand In tnt
bread line" and patronize the 1re<
soup houses" in every large centsl
OF population. Nor is this state Of al.
fairs due to the policy Of any particu'
lar political party, but rather the out
growth Of conditions which have beer
slowly but surely crystnlizing Tor Q
number Of years. In the first place
the corn belt-the great bread basket
of the nation-has had a series OF slim
crops in most sections. and this natur'
ally has had depressing effect upon
business conditions. Again, we have
been passing thru a period of Indus
trial readjustment-of changing from
the loose methods which prevailed Z
dozen or so years ago over to policy
of strict government control OF public
service corporations and a sharp In
quiry into the conduct Of all Other
large corporations-and, In trying tC
stamp out abuses. the pendulum has
swung so far in the other direction tina,
so far as the railroads are concerned
at least. 1t threatens to precipitate the
most Of them which are not already 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-
sponsible for the great army OF unem-
ployed was wildly demonstrated by
a prominent st. Louis newspaper re-
Gently when 1t showed that nine st
Louis manufacturing establishments
which deal in railroad supplies en-
ployed 1853 men one year ago. where
as now they employ only 4.503. with q
reduction In their pay rolls amounting
to $58S.T00 per month. or over sever
million dollars year. If the effect up.
on only nine enterprises is as far.
reaching as this. what would the fig
ures show II they were available fol
similar Industries and the hundreds o,
other enterprises affected in a greater
or less degree turnout the country.
Nearly all OF these concerns have or
hand hundreds OF thousands OF dol
lars worth Of finished equipment which
was ordered by the railroads a year Of
so ago. but which they have not beer
able to pay for: in the meantime. MOI
being able to pay for goods already or
dered. the railroads are not placing any
new contracts. and unless they receivs
speedy assistance from nation wide
standpoint the tendency will be for la
Dor conditions to grow worse rather
than better.
In last weeks article we referred
to the fact that the railroads are thu
In Vo1 nut ~ - IL ~ H. IA
ed States ana that during the fsca
year they paid out over thirteen hun.
dred million dollars in wages to thu
army OF mon and women who conduct
their business. We also referred to the
fact that they paid out almost thous.
and million dollars for steel, coal lum
Der and other supplies of which the,
are the largest consumers in the coun.
try. and therefore the chief support o
the hundreds OF thousands employed II
these great industries.
In view Of these facts. is IL not plaiY
to any thinking man that 1t Is OF tire.
mendous Importance to the whole
country that the railroads be permitted
TO earn reasonable income If thu
millions OF American laboring men ar,
to be kept profitably employed?
Does not any man know that II tn,
thousands who are this moment hunt
ing for work in Chicago. st. Louis, New
York. Pittsburgh. Cleveland and othel
large cities were prohtabiy employed
that it would mean a higher price To-
what the farmer has to sell and that /
would be reflected In the receipts o
every merchant and the output OF ev
cry factory in the nation?
In view of such a serious state o
affairs, can the average farmer o.
business man afford to oppose tn
small increase in rates which Is neces
sary to once more put the railroad
upon a sound basis? Is not the amour
Of passenger fare or freight which tn
average farmer or other citizen pay
out during the year mere bagatell
when measured against the Lucrative
employment and the buying power
the millions Of American laboring men
Another Serious Phase.
Important as is the employment o
phase OF this problem which calls 10
profound thought at the hands Of al
thinking citizens, and especially tn
lbIInfI. III ldBt wSOh 0SGISAS wv SssS'
the fact that in their desperate effort
to make both ends meet many rail
roads are burning the candle at boil
ends"-that In order to bolster III
their securities and keep out OF tn
hands Of receivers the rolling stocl
and roadbeds Of many lines have beel
deteriorating rapidly for number
years and hence are in no position I
handle a big seasons tonnage. SHOULD
the strain of heavy crop year SUD
denly descend upon them. That tn
great foreign war viii produce tn
highest prices ever known Tor tn
foodstuffs produced by the farmer !
admitted on all hands, and II ther
ever was time when ne Will need ade
quate and efficient shipping facilitie
II will be during the next two or thfe
years-and yet we are actually facin
perhaps the most prosperous period tn
i American farmer :;s: eve: S::o~n VIII
many American railroads In dilapi
dated physical condition. No soonS
had the great European war burr
upon the world than Congress- realize
that our merchant marine was uttesi
weak and inefficient. Steps were Z
once taken 10 make the best OF tho stu
alton and 70 repair ~ speedily - pos
sible our neglected shipping facilitie
upon the high aeaS-and that tn
handicap has already cost tho Amer
1 can people millions .of dollars durin
the last few months 10 20 patent tbs
Il requires no extended comment.
liz ono thing TO have markets in Q
paets q the world which have herr
toEors been supplied BY the grs'