The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1916-07-22
"THE MALADY OF
THE RAILROADS"
'Let the Dead Past Bury It's Dead,''
Says President Elliott.


A pamphlet has been issued by Rail
road Officials entitled "The Malady of
the Railroads" by Howard Elliott, presi-
dent of the New York, New Haven &
Hartford Railroad.
The employees admit that Mr.. Elliott
is well qualified to speak with authority
on some phases of railway maladies
Judging from certain recent revelations
about the former financial msmanage-
ment and wrecking of the road which he
is now directing.
Mr.. Elliott says at is the present
and future which confronts us. Let the
dead past bury its dead" There must
be many things of the past in regard to
the New Haven mismanagement over
which Mr.. Elliott would like to draw the
veil and have the public forget, espe
cially the most recent revelations.
However, the evils of the dead past"
have saddled load of debt on the liv-
ing present and when this heavy burden
is used as an argument against fair
wages and fair hours to employees of the
present time, we do not forget this
past of the New Haven and of other
roads that are so strenuously opposing
the movement to better the conditions
of its employees.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
says in q report on its research into the
financial workings of the New Haven
system, that it disclosed one of the
most glarinG instances of NAL admins
tration revealed in all the history of the
American Railroads"
A reasonable estimate of the loss of
the New Haven by reason alone of
waste and mismanagement," the Com
mission places at an amount between
sixty million dollars and ninety million
dollars.
For many year to come these trans
actions are to be a drain upon the New
llaven's resources and the employees are
expected to do constantly increasing la
Dor without a corresponding increase in
pay in order to make up this loot"
No wonder Mr.. Elliott would like to
have the public forget and "let the dead
past bury its dead" But the ghost of
highly inflated capital securities" can
not so easily be disposed of.
Mr. Elliott presents statistics but does
not allow in these figures, for the fact
that the basis of an eight-hour work
day already exists on number of rail
roads. He does not allow for the fact
that the demand for an eght-hour day
does not affect the hundreds of thou
sands of train employees in passenger
service throughout the United States.
Much stress is laid by Mr.. Elliott on
the fact that "only IS per cent of the
railway army now absorbs % per cent
of the railways pay roll" He fails to
mention the very important fact that
this Is per cent constitutes the most
skilled of the employees who are bearing
a greater responsibility and running
greater. risks than any other class of
railway employees. 1t would be just as
convincing if Mr.. Elliott would show
the large salaries received by compare
lively few higher administrative officials
as compared to the total expense of ad-
ministration along side OF the numerous
lesser officials and clerks.
1t is claimed by Mr.. Elliott that this
is poor time to make a demand tor
an increase III pay.
If, in these prosperous times it is a
poor time" the employees are at loss
to know when would be good time,
They were told early in the year OF 1913
by the Federal Arbitration Board, that
mo improvement in their conditions OF
employment could be granted, because
there was a depression in the railroad
business at that time" No Improvement
could be secured during lean" years
and now Mr.. Elliott comes forward and
claims that improvement in working
conditions should not be asked in good
years" The game apparently is heads
| win, tails you lose" But the employees
in railway freight train service see nc
good or convincing reasons in MIR, Eli
otis argument, especially i'll view OF tho
| fact, that enormous sums are wasted II
mismanaGement and financial manipula
ton and when the United States Gov
crnmcnt issues reports, showing how
once prosperous railroads have beer
MIXED and looted OF such tremendous
sums, that the employees should have t'
bear the full burden.