The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-26
BURDEN HERE AFTER
WAR, SAYS ID. HILL
Thinks This Country Must
Share With Europe in
Cost Of Great War.
SEES PROBLEMS AHEAD
~ NJ j. HILL.

NJ JAMES De hILbs
Railroad employees could not choose
n more ~inopportune time TO ask for a
general advance In wages. When the
devastating war In Europe IL over the
question confronting American wage
earners wfl be that of finding "A market
for their labor instead of fixing n price
for IT.
/ We have a feverish prosperity that
may vanish overnight. TIL great bulk
OF the business now taxing tho capacity
OF our railroads arises from the war ne
c~essi,ies Of Europe. Tho money our
people are getting in payment for their
products ~ being provided on the
forced credit Of the combined nations Of
Europe. They are raising these nun
dreds of millions by piling up to
enormous heights the debts OF their Gov
ernments. thus building up "A great a
cial burden that must be borne by future
generations.
The instant that peace is In sight
tand no one can tell how soon this may
be. because Europe cannot go on much
longer destroying lives and property at
this unprecedented rate) all this Hood OF
7 WI ""h 'Hth' t''o ~ sheh
will suddenly cease. Europe will then
begin the slow uNd painful process OF
recovering from the great losses OF the
war.
SECS Burden Here After the War.
Then tho United States. which has
been protiiing by Europe's war necessi-
ties. Will have to share her burden OF
the cost OF the war. In these days Of
closely related markets one great ma
ton cannot enjoy prosperity for any
length Of time while IA large part of the
rest OF the world Is la financial distress.
with the war over We Will no lonxe
SEQ tho railroads blocked with me-
n%nandisc bound for the seaboard or our
harbors choked with freight waiting for
ships to carry IL to Europe. How se-
we're will IL the reckoning the world
must pay can only ie conjectured. but
We all know II must Ice paid.
With such II situation confronting us
this can hardly I've regarded as "A happy
moment for railroad employees. aud
especially those highly paid employees
ia tho train service. to ask for higher
wages.
American railroads to-day pay tn.
highest wages in the world, out of the
lowest rates In the world. after havinC
ret down To- capital account the lowesD
capitalization per mile OF all great coun.
tries OF the world. No other occupation
> and no other employer ~ labor in IN,
country can match this record.
Coming Wage Problem.
The payroll now absorbs ~ per cent
+. OF the gross earnings of the railways
, When business falls of II will be dif,,
cult to reduce wages correspondingly
, TtD. l,yl.r atn nf V.AuAS : a MI 0hA a.
: now would have 10 bc adhere to In tn
= period of severe financial readjustmen
which must come very soon.
These 800 900 train men. less than {
NTH ~ the railroad workers. are nov
highly paid and their working condi
tons ai~ most favorable. In what othe
: occupation ran workers earn two an,
I ihr,- days pay in one day and I've abb
&, ~p,ud many days ut home IN consc
. quebec
! Thes, men all live comfortably. whici
I * as u, should be. Tir. wage rate en-
ables them TO spend literally for thei
g families. Their consumption is an i'm
' porttut factor I'm creating employment
. for other industries and raising tn" gen
n cral level of prosperity.
e But continually increased pay and dc
:, creased working hours for the employee
mean increased cost ~ transportation
' o ihl IL ' INV 'pl'A' KS ~ wv sh'h 49,
T. the bill in higher Yates. \ railway cal
5 pay out only what IL takes III. II take
IN nothing except what the public pay
y to it for service. The logical conclu
sion, that every concession to employee"
r must in time he reflected in a rise II
f, rates and paid for 10y the people, is on
which they too often overlook.
IS Thinks Labor Cost Lifts Prices.
The greatest factor making for higl
prices il the wage rate. E|crybod,
!. knows that labor cost is the principa
item in all forms of industry. The wag
+, rate has been rising steadily in thu
country. Powerful forces are back q
: this movement. 1t has public sympathI
d As tn" labov supply diminishcs. wage
u rise stlll more.
- IIigh wages and high prices work !
a circle. Every rise OF one is ~reflect'-
IN "A rise of the other. En' soniebod
has to pay these wages. They do ne
Al come out of the air. In the end labo
70 suffers when the business no longe
80 paws "A profit and the payrolls cease en-
"a ,trcly by the closing W OF an industr
. no longer profitable
l.ut the railroads must go on. Capita
" one. invested in the business cannot /
81 taken out. The railroads need hundred
~ Of millions OF new capital every sea
IL How is this capital 10 he obtained w
"a less investors are convinced OF III" abi
ID ,ty OF the carriers to earn "A fair return