Evening journal., 1919-02-11
Railway Problem So ufions by Men
Nho Do and Don'f Know What They Are
tFrom The New York Sun.)

All the grotesque proposals 10 solve
the railway problem are not spilled
into the public prints merely by thu
leaders Of the labor unions employed
by the railroads. The inexperienced
college professor. the cheap politician
the parlor Socialist alike feel qualified
to take a whack at It. Perhaps one oi
them wouldn't make any worse wrecl
Of the national transportation system
( than another, because, whichever one
had his way. the resulting wreck would
be. In mathematical terms, 100 per cent
II the scheme submitted by the rail
way brotherhoods is merely ridiculous
u isn't any more so, for example, than
the recent suggestion Of Mr. William
Bryan. II Is true that as the proposal
OF the heads Of the railway brother
hoods Is presented IL shows that
financial and other essentials have
never dawned upon them. They ask
the Government 10 buy the roads Then
they ask the Government TO provide
s500,0000O0 OF working capital. Then
they ask that the labor ENGAGED by the
roads be permitted TO conduct the roads
and divide with the Government the
profits above the cost Of operation.
The brotherhoods do not take into
account the fact that in addition 10 the
revenues required 10 operate the rosds
a little matter OF approximately si,000,-
100000 a year must be put into the
roads for an indefinite period 10 build
them up. to extend them and otherwise
to preserve their present and future
capacity and efficiency. They do not
reckon anything at all about the losses.
Can anybody picture a brotherhood
chief when there are two men on one
mans Job knocking one Of the men Off
In an effort 10 stop losses? For the
railroad business is fun Of that trouble.
u Is one Of the things which are
wasting hundreds OF millions Of dol
lars a year OF the companies revenues
Can anybody picture a brotherhood
chief insisting, when there Is only one
man on one mans job. that he put in
full days work, not only in sitting
on the Job but In saving wood on II or
be fired?
Can anybody picture a brotherhood
chief Insisting that nobody should get
q dollar Of pay unless he delivered a
dollar Of work?
II anybody can picture brother
hood chief doing those thinrs. then he
can also picture that brotherhood chief
being skyrOcketed higher than Glide
roy's kite by his own brotherhood.
But Bryan's proposal is lust as pre-
posterous. Bryan says the solution Is
FOR the Government 10 own and op-
crate a few great trunk line systems so
as to assure a natural transportation
from seacoast 10 seacoast and from
border to border leaving all the others
to shift for themselves. What does
Bryan think would happen 10 the great
trunk lines II all the little feeders of
the trunk lines were left 10 go 10 the
scrap heap? What does he think would
happen 10 the industrial agencies in
the states. In the counties. in the
townships?
Then, with the trunk lines paralyzed
because the feeders were paralyzed.
and the Industrial communities away
from the trunk lines here. there and
everywhere paralyzed because the
feeders were paralyzed, what does Mr..
Bryan think would happen TO the ma
tion2
Contrast the simple. clear thoughts OF
a man who. In discussing the railway
problem, knows what he Is talking
about. In few hundred words Mr..