The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1919-08-28
IMMATURE BOLSHEVISTS

The Secretary of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor says that the Railroad
Brotherhoods will get what they want
from this Congress or that they will elect
a Congress which will yield to their de-
mands. This is a proclamation and
threat from headquarters and the frank
ness of the above exalted advocate of
new freedom is, at least, Illuminating. 1t
puts the situation in the very centre of
the limelight. Now let US state as briefly
as possible what the railroad men want.
In the first place they demand that the
government shall buy the railroads. We
do not know how much money will be
required to do this but there are in the
United States 254, 900 miles of railroads,
5000 passenger cars, 2,500,000 freight
cars, and 100000 mail, express, caboose
and other cars. We are not able to state
how many locomotives are in use. The
average cost of railroads per mile is,
including terminals, about S5C, 000 The
cost of freight car is about 81, 900, of
passenger udy COACH dUOuI S1L.UUU, VI d
sleeping car about S25, 600, if of wood,
and about $685. 600 if of steel. A switch
ing locomotive costs about S25, 900 and
modern freight locomotive about $780, 600
When this is figured up the total calling
for an outlay not far from $40, 900, 900, 600
will be shown. After the government
has bought the roads and equipment the
railroad brotheThoods demand that they
shall be operated by National Railways
Operating Corporation which shall con-
sist OF Is, five to be chosen by the Presi-
dent to represent the public, five to be
chosen by the railroad employees and five
to be elected by the operating officials
This arrangement will place the govern
ment in position where it will be pow
erIess to DO anything except to suggest
what should be done. The brotherhoo s
can fix the rate of wages, backmail the
public and run the railroads as they
choose. The scheme provides that there
shall be an equal division of surplus earn
ings between the public and the employees.
This means that about 20 per cent of the
voters of the United States who will fur
nish about TWO per cent of the purchase
pr &c, if purchase price is ever paid in
money, are going into partnership with
80 per cent of the voters who will furnish
about 90 per cent Of the purchase price,
and, if ever dividend day comes, one
fifth of the whole number of partners are
to have half the profits. The advocates
of this one-sided plan seem to have for
gotten that the railroads have been losing
money at a rate of more than SIS, 900, 900
a month ever since control of them was
taken from their owners. They do not
seem to realize that it S very doubtful if
there Will ever be any surplus to divide.
No business is likely to be we'll and profit
ably managed when IL is conducted by
people who have no money of their own
invested in that business. This is the
man reason why government control is
so seldom a success, and is SO often dis
astrous failure. This is the main reason
why ours, once the greatest and most
successful railway system in the world,
is today a wreck financlally, wreck in
its service and a wreck in it's morale
The brotheThoods through their leaders
have told Us what we must do or they
viii take control of Congress. 1t is time
tor the 80 per cent of our voters to begin
to think about electing Congress, and
President, who will put few hundred of
these ha ripe Bolsheysts in some quiet
spot WHARF they can cool their fevered
imaginations.