Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-10
WHY THE COST OF OPP
GRATING RAILROADS
HAS BEEN INCREASED
STRUGGLING AGAINST INCREASED COST
OF LABOR, SUPPLIES, ETC, CN, ONE
HAND-REDUCED RATho
ON THE OTHER

no mems getting rich at present prices
high as thcy may seem to people in the
cities who do not understand the cost at
( tachad to present-day farming. To go
beck TO the old prices he used to receive
would bankrupt. in a little while. every
farmer in the country-and the tendency
OF the future viii be for the prices of
farm products to go stlll higher rather
than lower. Agriculture is the nations
greatest fundamental industry and so
ciety must make the farm game siif-
ficiently profitable to Justify the man
who is on the farm today and the farmer
boys OF the future 10 stay by tho pillow.
Much has been said recently about the
fact that tho, farmer docs not receive
enough for what he produces--that there
is too big waste in the channels through
which his products pass before they reach
the consumer, and that he has some
cause for complaint in this respect is
undoubtedly true However, the railroads
can face such an inquiry with a clear
conscience-for an exhaustive investigs-
ton conducted b. the Lehish Valley rail-
road some time ago shows that the
farmer gets 5ols cents out OF the average
dollars worth OF products he sells: the
packers. local shippers. distributors and
retailers set a.. cents between them;
while thc railroads receive only 5 cents.
Of one-twenticth OF the dollar, for the
Transportation services they render.
So, too, there has Doen a steads. ad-
vance in practically the entire realm of
merchandise and manufactured products
whatever their nature. and tho ever in
creasing toll i'm the cost of labor. steel
products, lumber, cars. locomotives and
other supplies, has levied a tribute OF un-
TOLD millions upon the railroads. which
have not only been forbidden to increase
their rates. but. ON the contrary IN many
instances, compelled TO lower them.
big Increased Cost OF Labor.
To give the reader an exact idea or
how the cost OF labor has advanced in
the operation of railroads we quote the
following increases in the daily wage
from 1900 10 19l4-a period Of only four
teen years. In the case of engineers IL
increased from sass per day To 1915, or
an increase of IS per cent; firemen from
S21 to 1892. or 81 per cent: conductors
from 1891 to A.S, or IS per cent; station
agents from $1.9S to s216, or 9 per cent;
other station men from $1.62 to $3.50, or II
per cent: ordinary trainmen from N.97 TO
1886. or 20 per cent; machinists from s272
to $3.50, or 20 per cent; carpenters from
$e.3l to $3.50 or ~ per cent: other shop
men from H.93 to 1920 or Il per cent:
section foremen from $1.51 to S1S3, or p
per cent; trsckmen from S115 to $1.52 or
80 per cent; telegraph operators and dis
patchers from S2.25 to s2.s5, or II per
cent. This means a general average in
crease in wages of 30 29-lOO per cent--and
all other classes of railroad operatives
and employees in more or less similar
degree While these advances have
proven great boon to the nearly 100000
men employed in the railway service and
Increased their capacity to buy from ner-
chant and farmer. they have exactedy
many millions annually from the rail-
roads themselves-all Of which made the
general public richer. but the roads
poorer. In 1900 the railroads paid S1.4
per ton for coal. Now they pay H.S1"
Then they paid IS cents for ties. Now
they pay 50 cents.
other Increased Costs,
But there are many other items which
nave enormously increased the cost of
railroad operation which we cannot go
INTO because Of lack of space The
pubic Is constantly demanding a more
efncient and a safer service, and hence
the railroads have had to spend vast
sums in installing block signals. steel
passenger cars, doing away with grade
Crossings. Strengthening lines, heavier 10
comottves, better roadbeds, and supply
ing many other projections protecting
both their operatives and the public-all
Things very necessary yet very costly.
80 too numerous states have passed
full crew laws which. without benefit
ing the public. have compelled the rail-
roads 10 pay toll Of millions to useless
employees.
Now. while labor, farm products. mer-
chandise and manufactures ana srnnlies
OF all kinds have steadily increased in
price, tho railroads, MS stated before.
have been compelled 10 reduce their rate,
In the face Of this avalanche OF eyer-ad-
Vancing cost Of operation-and that all
cut the most powerful lines find them
selves IN an exceedingly critical condi
ton is not TO be wondered at, Tho
farmer, the merchant. the manufacture
ana the laborer justly insist that they,
would not be able to get along on the
prices they received ten or fifteen wears
ago. How. theii, can the railroads which
are the largest EMPLOYS of labor ara
buyers Of material in the United State.
be expected 20 exist On less than thew re-
oeived ten or fifteen ycarg ago? In view
of these facts, it is no Wonder that Presi-
dent Wilson and Other patriotic aud care
full students OF the situation are speak
ing words Of kindly adm ,nitIoa TO fhe
american public. 10 the end that the
railroads. through whose slant arteries
flows the very life 81 ID Of the nation.
may not be wrecked and Destroyed.
The Public and the Manager.
On the one hand. for the last twenty
five years the public has demanded the
best and highest efficiency IN service
and lower rates In enc and the same
breath On the other 1anl stani the
thousands Of men and women who have
invested their money in railroad sccur-
tiles and who. In common with the
farmer. the manufacturer and the mer-
chant believe they are entitled b "A
fair profit Then come The hundreds OF
thousands OF employees who are continu-
ally olamoring for an increase in wages,
as well as the cost OF All manner OF rail-
road supplies which is constantly adj
vancing-and between them, as urbiters
stand the managers Of the roads-the big
hired men, struggling with might ard
main to reconcile all these conflicting in
terests in the face OF reduced rates upon
every hand. That they have at last
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