East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-01-01
o'BRIEN OPPOSES MEASURE.


Continued from page one.)
The full crew law enacted several
years ago in Oregon and Washington
Is costing my company an average OF
$4,000 a month Other laws have
been equally burdensome. The re.
suit has been to force railroads TO
curtail expenses In every possible
way, and betterments, extensions, etc.
are at standstlll. This condition
has assisted in creating the present
business depression. Many thousands
of railroad men are idle because there
Is not work for them TO do. engineers
are acting as firemen, conductors as
brakemen, and we have been COM
PEELED to retrench in every possible
way. Thus far we have been able to
meet our business obligations, but my
company has not paid dividend for
the past six years, and during such
periods only one per cent was avail
able for that purpose. Under such
conditions is 1t surprising that II is
almost impossible to borrow money
for railroad operations.
There is a rumor that at the COM
ing meeting of the Oregon legislature
in January. a bill will be introduced
limiting the length of trains. The
railroads have spent millions Of dol
lards in reducing grades and eliminat-
ing curves. making II practicable and
safe to carry heavy trains. This ac-
ton by the roads. and other econom-
les, has helped to keep rates at a
minimum. II a reduction in the length
OF trains Is forced upon us. our work
in reducing grades will have been
rendered useless and the cost OF OPP
GRAFTON immensely increased. making
further increases necessary than now
contemplated, and railroad rates In
the United States are the lowest in
the world, while wages to railroad
employees are the highest.
Heretofore the public has general.
ly stood by and not entered the dis.
cussion, but there is a growing know.
ledge that the thousands of people OF
this state who travel upon the rail.
roads and ship their products and
merchandise over same are the ones
who ultimately pay every dollar OF
these additional expenses placed up.
on the railroads by arbitrary legsla.
ton.
II do not believe that law makers
will entertain the bill | have just
mentioned. II regulation is needed In
this line, it is properly matter for
the railroad commission to investi-
ate and determine. Certainly ii must
be conceded that such body is bet
ter equipped to judge the proper meth
DDS of operation than would ma
lority Of the legislators. The trouble
in the past has been that In dealing
with public service corporations. in
experienced people have assumed 10
know more about how to properly op-
crate them than those who have given
the matter careful study.
The people generally are begin
ming to realize that railroad prosperity
means public prosperity, and that
carriers in the past have not been
treated fairly. 1t has been my OBJ
servation that the majority of legis.
iators and public officials generally
VIII act as their constituency desire: /:
but, unfortunately, the people have
remained silent until the legislature
adjourned and then done their kick
ing. If commercial bodies. business
men and people generally would
speak or write to their representa-
yves, much good could be accom-
plished toward obtaining more efficl-
ent government and reduction in tax
es' As the largest tax payer in tho
state, my company is naturally inter.
ested in reducing the cost OF govern.
ment. Much money is wasted in this
way and as an example I will cite
one instance. which is duplicated in
uiIterent forms in many localities
mere is a school district on our line
where my company pays. as its share
OF the school taxes, $500 annually for
each child going to school If this