Arizona republican., 1918-07-22
The Railroads After the War

When the railroads back into the tro of their private owners. if they do back, and in all probability they will, a situation will be presented followed by great deal of wrangling and confusion and newa of the struggle between federal control with the chances in of the latter The railroads being managed in way which but for the fact that the nation is war, would produce almost universal dissatisfaction The people however. real ize that the thing of importance is that the gov ernment should be served first and they much disposed to question the manner of the serving. New conditions recognized as war conditions being established which will probably after the and if then the business of the country adjust itself to these conditions there will be fight to change them. One of these conditions relates to wages and correlative rates. The wages of trainmen and others have recently been fig undreamed of and within few days the wages million other employees will be raised. In the mean time freight and passenger rates have gone higher : than they have been within two generations.
 problem which perpetual for the roads while in private ownership has been solved a,- most without effort. There has been no proes, by railroad owners against these wage increases for it is matter which does not directly them. Their returns from the government for the roads will not be affected by and rates. To meet these increases the have been pushed -up-something roads themselves could never have accomplished The only protest against higher rates has been voiced by state utility commissions some of which threaten that after the will sbe another in which the railroads will be deeply lconcerncd.
 This is the situation after many years of triangular wrangling the roads, their employees and the public in which the public always was the chief sufferer until it obtained relief through federal laws, there has perfect peace to the roads and thr employees. But this peace has been sesablshed wholly at the expense of the public. The spubc is paying the indemnity. It is suspected that these increases of wages and rates have been made at the instance of the railway managers themselves swho have availed themselves of government direction to bring about condition which will leave them lpeace with their employees when the roads returned to their control There will be wages of which em- spoyes cannot complain and there will be rates which the government itself has fixed approved as just and equitable
 But members of state railway commissions which find themselves helpless now say that with peace there will a demand for readjustment the ola perpetual struggle for lower rates will be resumed The people will not themselves with the wag- power of the commissions which have been grad ualy absorbed by the federal be re-
 stored. So widespread general will be this de- mand that congress will be unable to deny it and we shall have return to the and conflict in which the railroads will be the chief sufferers
 The only escape from this impending situation
 many railway commissioners believe is in changing the present government direction into govern