Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-10-18
Will Increase the Cost Of Living.

''' '''S' WOW SuO SOOS W esVp8s
When L. F. Loree, president of the
Delaware & Hudson Company, sent in
his enrolment to the Hughes National
College League. he was promptly asked
for his definition, as a railroad man, of
the Adamson Law. In reply he re-
ferred to his recent statement before
the Senate committee on interstate
commerce, in which he declared the
proposals Of the four railroad brother
hoods to be IAN effort to obtain largely
increased pay under the false pretense
of placing Limitation which has some
support in popular opinion upon the
hours daily devoted to labor, but with
out any actual purpose to diminish
those hours"
Later in this same statement, Mr..
Loree showed that not only is this
counterfeit eight-hour day a .contrac-
tual fiction. but 1t will increase the cost
of living of the great multitude of
Americans who have incomes lower
than those received by railway train
men. in order to increase these higher
incomes.
THE trainmen have adopted for
their demand the misleading designa-
ton of the Eight Hour Day." he said.
for the reason that the principle of
the eight hour working day has been
much discussed by economists and
philanthropists. and because it has
seemed to them that under cover of a
popular designation they could obtain
sympathy of the public for increases
in wages which. of themselves. would
not be approved.
1.-THE trainmen neither wish to ex-
tend their hours in the numerous cases
in which they receive a days pay for
much less than eight hours work, nor
to reduce their hours of service in
those instances in which they are paid
for more than full day, or would be
paid for more than full day If the
time for standard trip were limited
to eight instead of ten hours. That is
to say. they are taking their stand in
favor Of a counterfeit eight hour day
which, If accepted by the railroads,
could never become more than a con-
tractual fiction, and is being pressed
only as device to obtain ten hours
pay for eight hours work.
LAS 1t has come to pass that railways
in the United States cannot now re-
ceive for the services which they per-
form more. in the aggregate. than shall
meet their expenses and taxes and az
ford a reasonable return on the fair
value Of their property, it must be re-
membered that the railway corpora
lions now are. as to the sums paid in
wages. merely conduits through which
moneys pass from the travelling and
shipping public to the train employees
Furthermore. the shippers do not
themselves actually pay the freight
rates. but collect the amounts 80 paid
either directly or indirectly from the
ultimate consumer.
1T. therefore. follows that whateve,
10 added to wages must be added (first)
to the sums paid to the railways in
freight rates. and (seoonO to the
prices OF the commodities shipped. tina,
10 to say. to the cost Of living of the
ultimate consumers. This makes II
apparent that the present proposition
is. in fact. one to increase the cost Of
living Of the great multitude Of Ameri.
cans who have incomes lower thar
those reeeived BY railway trainmen In
order to increase these higher in.
comes"