Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-04-28

| but which were supported when the
application came up again two years
later, and which finally passed in 1914
The press" said Mr. Willard, did
not fail to detect the changing atti-
tude of the public mind
Speaking of railroad regulation, Mr..
Willard said:
Want COrrellatiye Act.
NO one would contend or expect
that As different regulating bodies
| with interests some times at variance
could successfully and efficiently sup
ervise and regulate the same subject
at the same time, although that is
. exactly what We are trying to do I'M
der our dual system of federal and
state regulation of railroads. 1t no
doubt seemed necessary in the past for
the individual state, or some of them,
to act in fields where the federal gov
eminent should have acted, but neg
lected to do so, but as we have grad
ually grown and become transformed
from loose confederacy of states, in
to one great nation, the necessity for
federal instead of state control has
become more and more apparent con-
corning many matters of nation wide
impOrtance-such necessity has been
reflected in a federal postal system,
the national bank act, national bank
ruptcy act, and more recently the fed
eral reserve act and federal trade
commission.
Gradually, consistently and nat
urally as l view 1t, the change in rail
road regulation from state to federal
is also taking place and the thing most
desired is that the complete change
shall be accomplished in as brief
time as practicable, consistent with
orderly transition.
There is one other very important
matter" Mr.. Willard said, in con-
nection with railroad operation. l re-
fer to the railroad labor problem. At
the present time it is matter of COM
mon knowledge that the men who op-
crate the trains and engines on all
the railroads in the United States have
demanded changed working conditions
and rates of pay which, if granted,
will increase the total cost of opera
ton, as estimated by the carriers,
many millions of dollars per year, and
OF course any increase in the cost of
transportation, due to whatever cause,
must in the end be paid by those who
use the railroads.&c. carriers have
no other source of revenue.
The movement affects all of the
railroads in the United States, and it
has been stated repeatedly by those
who have assumed to speak for the
employees that the unless their de-
mands are granted there would be a
general stoppage of trains. | need not,
| am sure, enlarge upon the serious
ness of such a contingency.
1T seems to me that inasmuch as
the public in the last analysis much
bear the burden, it should have and
claim the right to be fully advised
concerning all of the facts before any
step is taken which would result in
either increasing the cost of transpor-
tatlon or in interfering with the prop
er operation of the trains.
Superior Men Employed.
Certainly the men who operate the
trains and engines should be select
ed class and they should be well paid
and given good and suitable working
conditions, but if the carriers are al
ready paying such wages and giving
such conditions they should be - re-
CURED in the public interest to do so
ana II 1t should then appear that upon
the existing basis of rates and fares.
the revenues of the carriers was NOT
sufnclent to yield fair return upon
the value of the properties devoted to
public use, after paying the increased
wages, then such increase of rates
should be permitted as would fairly
meet the situation. On the other hand.
/ can think of no sound or sufficient
reason for imposing an additional
burden upon the public in The war OF
increased rates if after a tufs and
careful inquiry into the whole matter.
py competent body selected for that
purpose, it should be found that the
wages and working conditions of the