The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1919-08-09
DO YOU WANT TO
HOLD YOUR JOB ?
Question Asked Electric Railway
Employees by the Heads
of the Companies.
THEN THE EXPLANATION,

Co..
Should you be asked the question
DO you want to hold your job?" Your
answer would undoubtedly be, Ger
tainly, WHY?"
Well, it is this way. Lots of cleo.
trio railway men in the United States
have lost their jobs in the last year
or SO because their companies have
been unable to continue operation
Our company is not yet quite a. this
position. But it needs your he'll and
you can help, especially the platform
men who are the representatives OF
the company in their continuous con.
tact with the travelling public. This
Company's business is your business,
and whatever affects the company at.
fects each of you personally. You
ought to know the facts about the cleo
trio railway business generally as is
now being brought out in Washington,
Newspapers are publishing brief stor-
les daily of this hearing.
A Federal Commission, appointed
by President Wilson, is holding open
hearings in Washington. The Com
missions job is to get the exact
TRUTH about the situation of the ell
1o4ln a. OuD1lC0O IO-QdN"1lOll
all sides. This Commission was ap-
pointed by the President after the
United States Secretaries of Com
merce and Labor had brought to his
attention the fact that many electric
railway companies were being forced
out of business by situations over
which they had no control. 1t is look
ing into the matter by calling every
sort of witness-railway men, manu-
f%acturers, receivers, bankers, city offic.
ials, etc. While the newspapers from
time to time are giving widespread
publicity to the hearing at Washing
ton, we want you to have the facts in
handy, condensed form, so that you
can carry them around with you, in
your pocket, for reference when you
need it.
The electric railway business all
ove the country is suffering-like ev-
erything else-from the High Cost of
Living. .
It's supplies cost nearly DOUBLE
what they have in the past, also fuel
and taxes have increased. Electrical
apparatus and supplies now cost SO
per cent. (nearly double) more than
in 1915. Wages have been increased
as you a testify.
What the Washington Hearings Have
Shown.
On May 81 of this year, So electric
railways in the United States were
broke" They were in the hands of
receivers. These companies repre-
sented 5,912 miles of track. Sixty COM
panies with PSI miles of track, were
not only broke, but forced to disman-
tie that much track overhead, etc.,
and sell for junk for whatever it
would bring. Figures from 345 differ
ent companies throughout the United
States representing over 80 per cent.
of all the companies, showed they re-
ceived IA per cent. less money (just
about three-quarters) in 1918 than in
1917, after expenses had been deduct
ed. 1t cost those companies Is per
cent. more to operate in 1918 than in
1917 Gust one year)-not including 8
per cent. higher taxes and other costs.
These companies pay 800, 900, 900 per
year more wages now than they did
in 1906. About one-half a cent out of
every fare collected must be paid by
the electric railways for taxes alone.
1t is a mistake to think that stocks
and bonds of electric railways are held
by only a few people. The largest
holders of these securities are the
small investors, $4,000 and less. They
include widows, orphans, ETC., who are
dependent upon the earnings of their
small investments to meet the cost of
living.
The United States Government has
recognized the principle that every
business is entitled to a fair and just
return on the money invested in that
business. 1t must have this fair and
just return or it can't pay wages and
upkeep, and interest to the small in
vestors. This is exactly the principle
the Government applied when it rails
ed the rates on the steam railroads,
which were in the same position as the
electric railways are now. Electric
railways are not under control of the
United States Government. But they
have been required to do some of the
things required of the steam railroads
and they face the same conditions of
increased costs of operations as the
steam railroads.
Electric railways are under the con-
troll of City and State authorities. If
the authorities who control electric
railway fares do not apply the same
fair principle as applied by the Gov
eminent to the steam railroads, the
electric railways must quit business.
This will be the ultimate result. Cour-
tesy by employees to the travelling pub
lie has been recognized at this hear
ing as one, if not the greatest, asset
of which any street railway can boast.
Here is where you can help. think each
minute of the day, COURTESY
COURTESY. We have some aces for
courtesy, let us all acquire the natural
habit. You see and talk to more peo-
pie each day than the officers Of the
company may do in years. They are
reading the newspapers, and about the
Washington hearings. They knew, as
well as you. know, that general pros
perity depends on coed transportation.
They are fair-minded enough-if the
TRUTH is given them-to see why our