Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-30
JAMES WILSON. OF IOWA, At.
TAcks WILSON'S RAILROAD
STRIKE LEGISLATION.
FORCED ACTION DEEMED
MENACE TO THE NATION
Says Food Prices Must Rise " Work
Day 10 Made Shorter in All Indus
tries-Farmers Chief Shippers and
Must Pay Added Expense Of Trans
portation and Work Long Hours.

New York, Sept. 30.-That "the far
mer foots the bill' for increased cost
Of railway operation due to the Adam
son BILL forced thru congress by Pres
railway brotherhoods. is the contention
of James Wilson, former secretary OF
agriculture. Mr.. Wilson says:
The farmer pays his help generous
ly, and if 1t were ascertained after
careful and full inquiry that labor on
railways was underpaid, he would con-
sent to pay his share of increase, or. II
the measures agitating the country
We're for the purpose Of equalizing sal
aries and adding something for those
receiving now too little, the farmers
would be content.
This is not what seems to be IN the
minds Of the movers Of this disturb
ing question. It is the higher classes
the best paid railway men, who are
threatening; not the clerks, signal men,
track men, telegraphers. and others
who are paid moderate wages, but the
operators, whose pay runs up to, ana
over, 5000 a month.
Farmers Are the Shippers.
Eight hours day may pc lohs
enough for those engaged in some lines
of exacting work. Should this num-
Der of hours become general in all oc-
equations, the farm included. the prices
of food would rise still higher.
"Where will the money come from
to pay these increases? The railways
get money from the shippers. Inc
large majority Of shippers are the
farmers The board having authority
to raise or lower rates gave authority
not long ago to make Increases. stating
to the country that certain ROADS dlo
not have sufficient incomes to pay
necessary expenses. If this proposed
increase for few employees. decreed
by congress- under pressure OF the
president. is sustained by the courts
what will follow?
THE city of New York is dealing
now with the first fruits OF acton
without consideration. Fifty millions
Of dollars added to freights and fares
for few railway employees. and those
already the best paid. without word
about facts-the farmers to pay the
bills. Who comes next to try this new
hold up game on congress? Four men
did 1t this time.
Opposed to Their interests.
"The farmers are unorganized, I'M
able TO restrict their labor. to eight
hours a day. obliged to sell the pro-
duct Of their labor at prices affixed by
the ordinary influences of supply and
demand It is entirely antagonistic to
their interests to have small group
Of men employed by the railways al
lowed to fix their pay for carrying the
produce of the country at the cost OF
the producers and consumers. The far
mers as a class have maintained that
the owners of the railways must not
be allowed to make a monopoly OF
carrying. but must permit their
charges to be supervised by public au-
thori:y.
This controversy is not new. 1t has
been in the public mind for half a CEN
tury Nothing so menacing has &C.
Cured in this generation. We have
had headstrong presidents and foolish
congresses but never before have they
bowed down before SO little or started
anything with such large possibilities
for reaching mischief"