Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-05-25
Regulation of RailtOay Wages
Will 1t Be Order of Congress?


distinguished attorney and recently
chairman of the state democratic
committee of New York. The occa-
sion was the meeting of the National
Institute of Social Sciences. The most
interesting phase of the address re-
lates to the question of government
regulation of railway labor and
wages.)
1t is generally believed that the gov
eminent took control of the transpor-
tation organization of the United
States on the 1st of January, 1918.
Such is not the case. The control bill
gave the government real control of
only a part of the organization. 1t
is true that the government assumed
control of the physical property ana
the money of the railroads; the right
to change rates, etc, at its pleasure.
The government freed itself complete
ly from the restrictions of the Sher-
man act and the Hepburn bill as to
pooling, consultations etc, including
the regulations of the interstate COM
merce commission, all of which had
for years been the accepted policy of
the country in managing the trans
portation interests, but the govern
ment did not assume control of rail-
road labor.
A transportation system is a living
organism. 1t gets its life from the men
who run ii and it works well or i'll aC-
cording as men constituting the or
ganization conduct themselves 1t is
a mistake to think of railroad as the
right of way, the rail, the engines, the
ears, the terminals and the financial
management with the bonds, stocks
and balances in bank. AS a fact.
these things are less than half of a
raiIroad Tba other nalf ;s +he work
inc organization of men-frorn the
president 10 the gate tender from tho
traffic manager 10 the advertising
aFent-which runs the road The
flight Of the Twentieth Century from
New York tn Chicago is made possi-
bile hecanse each one of some thou
sand mon nerrorps bfs annointed dl-
tfae at the stated minute The people
of the country will get good or bad
RECONSIDERATION. viii nav more or less
for r. no the two million or more of
ordinary roilroad emnloveos nerforn1
their dT,tiat, vol or M
Tho +o+oI onarotino ravan,ee of thn
railroods for ie1S were 81 500 600 600,
of tbie 60 dOO o00 mn yaS noid 70 10
bor tbo roe+ ,,,o,,t l., ,,ootarioI, +ave.
and the rental The dominating fact
~ Government onaration ;e therefore
that altbougb Tho povernment' tool!
actuaI central IF abont "a ner cent
coet ToIna of +bo tronsnortation ar
gani1ation If tho oounfrt, n remained
in the nosition If a nriyate emnIover
With raferenca n tho remaining 20
nov cant of tbo tronsnortotio, bnsi
nass Tho b,p,or nroonizotio,, Of
INC ovstor, M Kruttecbnjtt nraei-
den+ If w. Sni1tbar, pacifin i;pns Is
renorfnd 70 have said that If he had
IN cboose hetvean tho return of
railroad without an organiaation or
of an REORGANIZATION without a railroad
no ,,,o,,Id tol,o Tho nrga ni1aIion The
nortroI Nm grontad 70 tbn ero,errrent
M snaciaI nowers ne arhitrotion Of
differences with tho raiIroad em-
nioynes II r,ada No nrohihition mon
ino,,inor +,,a nnI,arrn9op+ raiIrnad COW.
900 r,itbo,,+ notioa and ,-itbout oouee:
a. noo+oa ~ ,<la,.o;,,a a,Ith ori.,,- e,,.b
&c on1ist,oant or tho fivi,,n Of q nana1-
-, fnn faiI,ro =, dutias II loft tho
str;orb+ 70 stril,ou IN full affoot II is
4bnraforo a ,y,icS+o tonoant N Gov, that
we have had eovernment control of
+bo roilroode s;nco January 1918
Tho ooet NJ rnateria1e and sunnlies
tho maintenancn of the orpa nizafiou
ana tba necesear,, navmants for cani-
~ IVA tnves ahsorh toda,, about 20
nor cant NJ tbe Gross annual revenues
THE ramoininp 50 ner cent is Maid d.
,,oct,,, 70 Iohor We have therefore
about 20 ner cent of the railroad bust
noes nnder reoulotion and control and
obout Eo nor cont FREQ The question
10 wbetbar an organization hair regu-
Ia+od ana bolf 1nreCulatad can on
dnre
mr. ,.ohIop, heforn tho American
noonIo IN eattIing o,,r Recommendation
nnostion 10 No Ionper n chec. the ra-
Tacit,, 90 canitaI ~. 10 control the
antocrotic tendencies of tho onerating
officiaIs or 70 fiv the nature of the
faciIities 10 he given TO the public.
Canital M longer regards a railroad
inveetrnant &C q nrof,t maker and will
no tbankful If its existing investments
shall return a moderate income The
onoa hauohty ,nanagers of railroads
now know their masters and agree to
reonests of national and state com
niacinp unnecessary brakemen on a
main Iown to tho character of drink
ing cuns nerritted in the cars. They
are ready ia install steel continent
Terminals block signals and any 9TH
or desirable railroad facilities nro-
yided thew ran obtain the money to
nav for tbem THE great bodv Of fl
nanciai sentiment anproves govern
mant sunervision of The issues Of rail
road securities and is prenared fully
IN endorse the government NAL king of
,,tos nro,idad thev viii mako a ra-