The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-08
DELAY THE AIM
 OF RAILROADS IN
 8-KOUR DISPUTE
That Increased Freight Rate is Scheme Behind Contr0-
 versy is Suspected.

Cleveland, Ohio. July 8-Anything for delay, is the plan of the railroads in dealing with the demand of the employees for an eight hour day is charged in a statement issued today by the Transportation Brotherhoods.
 Railroads are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to ask the pub lie for their support on proposition to refer the controversy to the Inter- state Commerce Commission.
 The public should know that the Interstate Commerce Commission only very recently and on two different oc- casions, have reported at some length and in considerable detail upon this very question. Its reports compre- hend two wide spread investigations since 1910 and are the result of at- tempts on the part of the railroads to make use of increases in wages to induce the commission to give its con- sent to increases in freight rates.
 The whole subject of wages was gone into by the commission with much care and in great detail.
 The railways were fully represent ed by counsel and large numbers of witnesses testified in their behalf.
 Eminent counsel appeared in be- half of the opposition to the roads.
 The attorney of the commission also participated in the proceedings and prepared and presented for con- sideration. great mass of statistical information.
 After full hearing of the investi- gation upon all the facts and circum- stances, the commission held that there was no evidence before it which established the necessity for high rates
 And again in 1914 the same elab- crate and thorough investigation into the subject of wages as having a bear ing on the necessity for increased rates, was held.
 This federal tribunal said, "It is in teresting to note that notwithstanding, wages constitute large part of the Transportation expense. this item of expense has shown a relatively small advance as compared with other groups"
 The commission called attention to the fact that efficiency of operation and management are the most im- portant things in the reduction of op- erating expenses, and, as an illustra- ton, the commission cited the state ment of the General Superintendent of Motive Power of the Pennsylvania Railroad who 1essened the cost of building locomotives between 1903 and 1913, although the rate of wages in creased nearly 40 per cent.
 The official utterances of the In terstate Commerce Commission an- swer authoritatively, questions raised by the railroads in their opposition to the present movement of the railway Brotherhoods for an eight hour work day for employees in freight train ser vice.
 These questions have been raised by the railroads and by the roads through the U. S. Chamber of Com merce, solely to confuse and perplex the public mind and in an endeavor to prevent the. American people from securing clear perspective of the so- cial and economic significance of the establishment of shorter work day, for some 35o.ooo train employees.
 Railroad officials we'll known that the Interstate Commerce Commission has no power to fix the rate of wages after an investigation of the subject and the whole controversy would af- ter an investigation, be in the same condition as it is at the present mo- ment. - Should however, the Interstate Commerce Commission recommend the granting of the demands of the employees, the commission would auto matically be held responsible for any increase in operating expenses result ing from the granting of the demands; therefore, would be compelled to as- sent to an increased freight rate which is perhaps the very thing that the railroads ae trying to secure out of this controversy