Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-17

That every city of any size In the
country is full Of thousands Of idle men
at the present moment Is a fact well
known TO every reader of newspaper
for hardly a day passes that the hungry
thousands who stand In the bread line"
and patronize the free soup houses in
every large center OF population. Nor Is
this state of affairs due TO the policy Of
any particular political party. but rather
the outgrowth OF conditions which have
been slowly but surely crystaiizing for a
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 naturally has
had a depressing effect upon business
conditions. Again, we have been passing
through a period Of Industrial readjust-
ment--of changing from the loose meth
DDS which prevailed a dozen or so years
ago over to a policy of strict government
control Of public service corporations and
sharp inquiry into the conduct of all
other large corporatons-and. in trying
TO stamp out the abuses OF the past the
pendulum has swung 80 far in the other
direction that. so far as the railroad are
concerned, at least, It threatens to pre-
cipitate 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 condition
| OF the railroads is largely responsible for
the great army OF unemployed was
wildly demonstrated by prominent st.
Louis newspaper recently when 1t showed
that nine St Louis manufacturing estab-
/ lishments which deal in railroad supplies
employed 1853 men one year ago,
whereas now they employ only 45OS. with
| reduction in their pay rolls amounting
TO s5SS,7OO per month. or $7,OOO,coO a year.
I If the effect upon only nine enterprises
is as far reaching as this what would
the figures show II they we're available
for similar industries and the hundreds
4 of other enterprises affected in a greater
/ or less degree throughout the country
/ Nearly all OF these concerns have on
/ hand hundreds of thousands Of dollars
worth of finished equipment which was
Z ordered by the railroads a year or so ago
but which they have not been, able to
pay for; In the meantime, not being able
] 20 pay for goods already ordered, the
! railroads. are not placing any new con
tracts, ana unless they receive speedy as
I slstance from nationwide standpoint
/ the tendency will be for labor conditions
( to grow worse rather than better
! In last weeks article we referred tc
the fact that the railroads are the larg.
est employers Of labor In the United
States and that during the last fiscal
year they paid out over 81 300, 10000 in
wages to the army OF men and women who
NnnS--rf fhofr Hx4of "a al -
to the fact that they paid out almos,
H.ooo.oooooo for steel, coal, lumber and
other supplies of which they are the
largest consumers In the country, and
therefore the chief support OF the hun
dreds Of thousands employed In these
great industries.
Z In view of these facts, Is It not plair
to any thinking man that it is of ire
mendous importance to the whole coun-
try that the railroads be permitted t.
earn a reasonable income II the millions
OF American laborihg men are 90 be KEEP
profitably EMPLOYER
: Does not any man know that II thu
thousands who are this moment hunting
for work In Chicago, Ut. LOUIS New York
Pittsburgh, Cleveland and other large
cities were profitably employed that 4
would mean a higher price for what tn,
farmer has to sell and that It would b,
reflected in the receipts of every mes
chant and the output Of every factor.
in the nation?
In view of such q serious state OF af
fairs can the average farmer or bust
ness man afford to oppose the small in
crease in rates which Is necessary to one,
more put the railroads upon a sOunt
basis? Is not the amount of passenge
fare or freight which the average farme
or other citizen pays out during the yea
mere bagatelle when measured agains
the lucrative employment and the buyin,
power Of the millions of American labor
ing men7
Another Serious Phase.
Important as is the employment o
labor, there is another very seriou
phase OF this problem which calls FOR pro
found thought at the hands of all think
ing citizens. and especially the farmer
In last weeks article we cited the fac
that in their desperate efforts to maxi
both ends meet, many railroads ar,
burning the candle at both ends"-tha
in order TO bolster up their securities an,
keep out OF the hands Of receivers tn
rolling stock and roadbeds of many line
have been deterioratIng rapidly for
number OF years and hence are. In n,
position 10 handle a big seasons ton
mage. should the strain OF a heavy crol
year suddenly descend upon them. Tha
the great foreign war will produce lth
highest prices ever known for the fold
stuffs produced by the farmer is ad
mitted on all hands. ana II there eve
was q time when he will need adequate
and efficient shipping facilities II vii
be during the next two or three years
and yet we are actually facing perhap
the most prosperous period the American
farmer has ever known with MN,
American railroads in a dilapidated con
4. dition. No soosier had the great European
war burst upon the world than eongres
realized that our merchant marine wa
utterly weak and inefficient Steps wer
at once taken 10 make the best of tn
situation and to repair as speedily a
possible our neglected shipping facilitie
upon the high seas-and that the handi