The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-03-02
1900 : n - y Y --7.-Il
DO II. l|||Olv
(From The Milwaukee Leader. }

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(From The Milwaukee Leader.)
Congress SHOULD do the right thing
about the Notwithstanding them
Immediately. e.. y =.
Is Qne4nenatpr wants to cut down the
AnnHal unearned income Of the roads
SO that it will he q little oyer three
quarters of a billion dollars instead of
approximately q cool billion.
That is good as 1ar, rs it goes, but
it doesn't touch the real situation at
ALL
A minority of the interstate COM
merce committee of the house want
to vest the rate making power in the
interstate commerce commission. and
to limit federal control to one year
after the peace proclamation.
The first of these proposals is
matter OF detail, but the second strikes
at the root of the whole proposition.
II proposes to give the railroads back,
bag and baggage, to the private own
ers after the war is over. Thissis un-
doubleday the program of the powers
that be. If it is to be prevented, the
people Of the United States must be-
stir themselves and make their opin-
ions known and ten. The majority
Of the committee merely want the
length of time to be left indefinite.
The railroads have been a contin-
a'al source of graft and unearned for
tunes ever since they come into ex-
istence.
When the roads were first con-
structed, the people in general con-
tributed vast amounts of money and
property to assist in their construc-
ton.
They gave the railroads 300, 900
square miles of land! One hundred
and ninety-two million acres! And
the timber on top of it and the coal
and gold and silver under it!
Mr.. Larrabee. once governor of
Iowa, in his volume on 1.-THE Rail-
road Question:" estimates that this
land donated to the railroads was
equal to the total area of the states
of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan and Ohio:
Millions upon millions Of dollars
in cash were" also donated to them
out of the national treasury.
And, in addition to all this, the
states, counties, cities and towns taxed
themselves generously and handed
over the proceeds to the railroads.
The people were easy at the start,
and they are easy now.
After passing the hat until that
process became a chestnut, the beg
gars still continued to be robbers
Ever since that time, they have been
busily engaged in robbing the people.
They have secured 4 rich accumula-
ton OF fieecings by underpaying and
overworking their employees. They
have secured another rich accumula-
ton of {1eecings by excessive charges
for freight and passenger service.
They have secured another rich &C.
emulation Of heecings by skimping
tho expenditures for safeguards, i'm
provements and equipment.
In addition to all this, they have
poured lakes of water into their stock,
Issued bonds in proportion, and work
cd every other continuance that would
bring them a flow of coin.
Is this not enough?
Isn't it high time to stop this rob-
berry and make the railroads public
property?
The placing of the roads under
government management paves the
way - provided congress can be
persuaded or compelled to act in the
interest of the public, instead of act
ing in the interest of the private
owners
Most Of the senators and represent
atives are the tools of the capitalists.
But they have to have the votes of
the common people in order to get
elected. They are looking for re-
election. IT the people make it per-
fectly clear that their votes will not
so to anyone who does not work, and
vote for immediate government own
ership of the railroads it will have
the desired effect.
Therefore write to your congress-
man and senator about this, and urge
immediate government ownership.
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