Omaha daily bee., 1916-05-02
Nebraska
RAILROADS SOUND
WAGE SENTIMENT
Ballard Dunn Reports Opposition to
Proposed Increase on Part of
Business Men.
LETTERS TO MIDWEST BANKERS

For the purpose OF getting an expires
sion Of opinion from business men Of
every character throughout the middle
aeFt relative 10 the demands Of the rail-
road hrothcrhoods for an Increase OF %
per cent In wages. the Association OF
Western Railways is sending a personal
otter to az meny business men as It
can get IN touch with.
Ballard Dunn, who Is IN charge Of tho
Omaha headquarters. advises that the
response to these communications has
been very remarkable and reveals an al
most unanimous opposition on the part
~ brglness men 10 the proposed in
froage demanded by the railroad unions.
One Of these letters--the one sent 10
every banker In the middle western
Btatest-is az follows:
we are anxious to hear from MI Of
The bankers within our territory regard.
ing the threatened strike Of the railroad
sngipecrs, firemcn, conductors and brake
noe
Demands Are stated,
THE mon are demanding what they call
an cight-hour day. which, ~ you know,
Il m lmposalbiity on railroad, as we
cannot start and stop when the whistle
blows. The result Is that the demands
mean that the men shall be paid what
they now get for ten hours work az the
End Of eight hours and that the other
two hours shall be pad for as overtime
at the rate Of time-and-a-balf
This means IN reality ar increase OF
Is per cent in wages. a larger increase
than has ever before been demanded AZ
my one time, and It viii take siooO00ooo
a year In order TO pay this increase.
This would mean that every family IN
the United States would have 10 be
taxed s. year IN Increased freight rates
and passenger rates IN order that the
railroad companies would have the money
With which to pay this stupendous sum.
Tho men who are demanding this 3
per cont increase are now being paid nm
average Of 1896 a year Come OF the
groon men, Of course. get less, but many
Of them get great deal moro)
Labor World "Aristocrnts"
THE railroad companies have never
begrudged high wages to their skilled
employees and throughout all the history
OF American raliroading, these same rail-
road employees who are now threatening
TO ito up businefs in America, have been
paid more wages than any other men OF
similar skill IN the country, with the re-
cult that they arc looked upon by the
men engaged In other lines OF work as
the arlstocrats OF the labor world.
I'm spite OF All this the leaders Of the
union1 have been quoted In the public
press ~ saying that they will not arbi-
trate, hut thai II the railroads refuse the
demands there will be n strike.
You. NJ . banker and leader Of finan-
el.l aud busincsa opinion in your neigh.
Jorhood know the tremendous and far
reaching consequences that would follow
.atriko.
"ff II foe end the railroads are com
pelied 10 nay ills increase in wager OF
100000 per year one thing II certain
freight rates and passenger rites VIII
have 70 be Increased Every family In the
United states viii have 10 pay more for
raeh TIP they take upon passenger
train and for everything they ship.
what May Happen.
And ono other thing may happen--thc
railroads may find II more economical
10 spend the money necessary to move
lie district terminals 80 that the rum
ming time OF the trains can be cut down
md the necessity Of paying overtime be
thus avoided n II Ii found batter
business policy 10 borrow the wsney
needed for making these changes and
pay the interest on this borrowed money,
than 10 pay the tremendous overtime,
then the plan Of rearranging district
terminals will have to be adopted.
There will. Of course. be a great deal
Of loss In business at all OF these dis
trict terminals; but az you know, IL the
railroad companies arc compelled to add
100000 600 a year to the wage fund.
fund which already amounts TO N,S29,ooo,'
900, some drastic financing will have TO
he done in order to meet the demand.
we believe that II Will be TO your
interest to talk this matter over with the
business men In your community, and we
wish YOU would write 10 US personally
giving us your opinion az TO what should
he done in order to bring tho real facts
Of the matter 10 the attention OF every
one, and we wish also that you would
send us the names and addresses OF
business mon, working men and farmers
to whom you talk so we can get in
touch with them personally. Please give
~ the business and occupation OF the
men 10 whom you talk and whose names
you send us,
What YOU do and say at this partie-
ular time is Of vital Importance 10 you
and "a YOUR entire community.
We should like 20 have your coop
Grafton in reaching the best solution. 49,
tdNs etiseme-t.