The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1918-02-21

war by making needless expense,
were made by w. G. Lee, presi-
dent Of the Brotherhood Of Rail-
way Trainmen, when he appeared
before the Railroad Wage Com
mission asking for a wage adjust
nent for the 128,OOO men in his
organization.
Every practical railroad man
in the country knows that the rail-
road managers-at least some of
them-have laid down on the gov
ernment because they do not want
to make operation by the govern
ment a success That was the
startling statement with which he
threw down the gage of battle to
the railroad men who were to op-
pose his demands.
81 am frank to say" he con-
tinued, "l am conceited enough
to think I can pick out i few
switchmen, engineers and conduc-
tors that could have handled some
were handled in this congested
territory"
81 am making this statement.
public, and l can back it up by
the sworn statements of expert
enced men. They We're not per-
mitted to railroad as they know
railoading. Why? There is a
reason.
eff the Government makes "a
success of operating these rail
roads, do you think the public
will let them go back9 No. And
that is why.
II want to see railroads maxi.
a success of it, and that is why l
pledged the loyalty of my men.
That is why men, many of them
Who are here and thousands of
them over the country, are ready
to do everything they can to make
a success of it. But. you cannot
expect to be made success of,
If handled and absolutely con-
rolled by gentlemen who do not
want to make success, and who
have all Of these things in their
own hands.
81 think I can prove conclu-
Gively," Mr.. Lee continued, in an
swer to a question, "that the ope-
rating officials increased their costs
unnecessarily. On a certain d.
vision of railroad not. far from
this city. freight crews have been
called to leave terminal at a
certain time, and the sixteen-hour
law overlook them before they left
the terminal. Not in one INSTANCE.
but many such instances. Paying
the entire crew for 16 hours lay
ing on a side track.
"Why, / put in good many
years myself in the service, and
l don't know of anything that
would have caused a man to be
discharged quicker than for such
rotten railroading as that, and the
most humble brakeman knows it.
"The purpose is to show the
greatest possible costs and delay
snd overtime to the commission
that is investigating, so that when
these men come back and ask for
time and a half for overtime they
can say, as this report says, that
it cost $6s, ,000, 900 to put the Ad-
amson law into effect as it has
been put into effect.
eyes, if I were operating the
roads I could make it cost double
that, or I could cut it in two"
Secretary of the Interior Lane,
Who Is chairman Of the Railroad
Waee Commission, thought that
Lee was unduly y suspicious Of the
railroad msnagements.
''Do you think that the men up
Shove the operating trainmen con.
spired to bring about this resulti
be asked.
Ono. I don t think all Of them,''
Lee answered, "but think a suf-
Acient number interested are do
ing all they can to keep the Gov
ernment from making q success of
this railroad operation. I think
everything points to it,
I'VE are talking about last
years experience under the eight
hour law" persisted Lane. "You
nave made very broad statement,
and it surprised ME, because it
seemed tome that human nature
is not given to that sort of prac-
tice as much as you appear to be-
heve; and it seemed TO me also
that you have certainly cot to
have the president of the road and
the general manager of the road.
and the division superintendent