El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-08-02


~ roads have now been authorized to make IN tnen
freight and passenger rates, the city Of Fl Paso VIII be
called upon TO pay S1,Soo0o0 Whe1 recall now dIIl-
cult is to raise money in large sums for any purpose
locally however worthy the be- the addition Of
$4,000 month TO E Paso's cost Of living appears
staggering. The chamber OF budget Of 100000
raised only after several successive campaigns and
much hard work by hundreds Of volunteer committeeman
Yet By this railroad rate increase there is imposed upon Fl
Paso the annual payment Of an additional sum equal 10
IS times the chamber OF commerce budget
Any business man can easily figure out the proportion
Of the total which his business viii have to pay d.
reey Every merchant industry handling merchandise
commodities materials manufactured OF fuel viii
have to pay directly. In most cases the increase VII be
passed to the next purchaser in line the wholesaler to
the retailer the manufacturer to the jobber, the retailer
and the public utility 70 the ultimate consumer In some
the nature Of the business such that the increase
cannot be passed on and the business VIII have to suffer
the additional drain without hope Of recompense.
Of the increase authorized, The Herald alone VII
required pay $4,000 year. top Of freight rates
already much higher than they few years ago,
postal and express rates heavily increased, wages higher
prices Of all materials OF manufacture enormously ad-
vaneed The cost Of white print paper the largest single
item newspaper costs outside Of wages is five to
SIX times high It a few years ago. and pros
pec Of relief in sight And the nature Of the newspaper
business such that it cannot easily adjust itself,
merchant manufacturer can to changing costs Of doing
business
The greater part Of the increases Of railroad rates
authorized VIII be passed to the consumer Among
the who VIII share this burden the 100000
railroad workers themselves who VIII thus have more
money to spend and be obliged to spend ore. The old
theological point Of dsputation (which was first the egg
OF the ccken?" was no harder to solve than the
problem Of how working who also consumers
going to afford to their own wages they go on N
creasing.
Such things as this railroad rate increase very
vague and Of small account until brings them home to
oneself Fl Paso VIII appreciate its part in the game
when Fl Pasoans are reminded that they must pay
100000 year additional IN railroad rates. directly or
Indirectly. By the way Fl Paso has paid 100000 toward
the cost Of the war and has S25Oo0OO0 to pay Fl
Paso is contributing 100000 year toward the cost Of
the government at Washington, about four times as much
the city pays for all municipal county, and state taxes
It has been brought through statistics of the United
States labor bureau that the increase wages granted
the railroad employees added the previous increases
while the roads were IN government hands, up to
los percent increase since 1915 and according TO the same
statistical source, this Is considerably than the IN
crease IN the cost Of living since 1915.
The railroads themselves VII certainly have
complain, since the national government has virtually
imposed general tax to pay the increased wage and
turn an income TO the railroad owuers.
No doubt the increases to railroad viii be taken
favorable precedent and long the present admin
srston remains power at Washington, at least there
VII be rapid series Of strikes threatened strikes excel
tvs commissions Wholesale increases IN wage scales and
consequent increases IN prices Steel and coal next In
order The great Of the people have nothing to say
about it do about it way the other They only
have to pay the bills.
There is thing to be said in favor Of the wage
settlement It peaceable. few years ago the
fully surrendered, virtually at the point of gun to the
arrogant threats Of powerful labor organizations This
time the study Of Tie situation and the work Of the board
allowed to go without the intervention Of force
and the heads Of the great railroad broterhoods stood
loyalty BY the government in its efforts 10 arrive at