The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-05-20
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WHAT ABOUT RAILROADS.

Editor The star. Noting your kindne.. In devounE
frontpaxe space 10 the soldier boy for airing his
devoted to tho best interests OF the peopis would
appreciate this opportunity for stating Some facts
overlooked by the pscss-
A great many newspapers 10 BE- devotfnG con-
adorable space to the fact that shsss = dsfeit In
federal operation Of the railroads. and gather from
the prominence OF tho headlines and the manner OF
with the news trusts bringing pressure TO bear
press with the Idea Of moulding public opinion
against government ownership.
The writer has worked In different capacities. upon
more railroads that be- counted upon the fingers
and toes Of any normal man. and have always found
them the where dividends were concerned When
earnings fall off and dividends threaten fall below
the stipulated figure the flooded stock tho custom
has always been to meet the deficit by laying off
enough labor 10 balance the sheet II matters not to
their calous conscience how necessary this labor may
safety efficiency OF the operation Of the
road. where previously employed. one
Of them il pulled off and tho other specd~d up
and ovsrworked. doing the work that IL previous
~ recognized required two men gang OF eight
track men viii be reduced to two. The general man
ager merely states the figure 20 which tho superin-
tendent must reduce his labor expense and the super
shuts his TO all other considerations cs
cept he reduces the force Regardless Of the def
cit. Uncle Sam has not done this and all employees
that Il has been my agree that Uncle Sam
IL By far the best employer. and not speed
up and overcrowded with duties until their nervous
system wrecked. From my knowledge Of condi
lions that prevailed before. and the
ditions I predict that II the roads turned back
TOMORROW.
they would lay Off at least calculation 100000 mem
estimating the annual earnings OF these employees M
averaging 1900 re, total OF sisoooo.ooo.
Uncle Sam is losing this money he is merely TAX
ing IL from pocket and putting IL In another.
These men circulate this money between merchant,
ma nufaciurer and farmer. and N unemployed would
mean Just this much as total loss 70 Uncle sam az
there other employment for them. and our ma
tona income would suffer just this much total loss
Nobody suffers loss because Uncle Sam taxes lux
ury make up this deficit Luxury Is just the same
ttxb he nj In
over production which must be absorbed. IL cannot
expended upon the neccssares OF fc such az food
clothing education, and OF the
turning this excess wealth into charity or the
public treasury. I think the popoff valve should
be that II will exhaust into the public treas
ury.
In my connection with various railroads 10 was
ALWAYS easy estimate Just how each individual line
meeting dividends and expenses. When the
track men were off TO point far below safety.
ard every overtime slip brought howl Of protest
from the superintendent. you could Judge that the
shoe pinched a pet IL the engineer given
feather apply valve oil. the fireman teaspoon
TO shovel coal, the station agent notified TO borrow
some gunny sacks and save waste paper and to save
indeiibe pencil stubs. and boil down for ink When
every reauisiton for material supplies IL reduced
exactly one half. you figure dividends in peril
10 the railroads are returned 10 Wall street. pre-
dict the biggest labor strike in history. followed by
panic which will cause the overthrow OF the manner
in which present form OF government Ia applied
IL will endangcr. " not completely overthrow, our
present form OF government
railroad labor Is strong for Uncle Sam. and this
labor knows II has no friends In Wall street.
we don't deny that there are today lot OF waste
mi orders and regulations in effect that all the
esrrnarks OF coming from higherup in Wan street.
All transcontinentai stuff from Puget sound points liz
routed via Great Northern which has the poorest
rolling STOCK poorest terminals and the expen.
sve grades over the mountains. Other lines better
equipped and part OF them electrified. compelled
10 turn freight to tho Great Northern Why?
Is II n scheme 70 cause Uncle Sam deficit? Or IL
Il scheme to claim need of bigger terminals and
an electrified line over the Great Northern.
Idle box lying every siding: merchants
are waiting days for freight that they previously
received in "a hours Why? Big shippers are haul.
ing their freight 10 miles by truck and paying high.
err rail because OF the manner OF punching
freight. Motor truck lines hauling the freight
hauled by rail The officials know H. The
newspapers know It, Tho answer In displayed from
every in big advertisements by the banks
All the explanations have In the papers sound.
ed lame TO
some Of the policies being carried out are at the