The Connecticut labor press., 1920-07-31
ARE RAILROADS
TRYING TO WRECK
OUR INDUSTRIES?
Such Undoubted Authority as the
Chicago News Makes an
Impressive Survey.
DISQUIETING RESULT
Industrial United States Grip
pie, It Says, and Every Indi-
vidual' s Welfare Threatened,
By CHARLES M. KELLEY.

By CHARLES M. KELLEY.
Are the railroad presidents of the
United States endeavoring to wreck the
industrial prosperity of the nation
| This question has been seriously asked
by Labor, the official medium of the
recognized standard organizations OF
railway employees. 1t was prompted by
the actions of men who are responsible
| for the operation of railroads under
the present system.
/ The Chicago Daily News, one of the
most powerful papers in the country
recently published survey of the in
dustr1al situation and its conclusions are
everything but reassuring. They are
epitomized in these words
| The industrial United States is a
cripple today. The shop, the factory,
| the home, the comfort and welfare of
practically every man, woman and child
| are threatened"
The News said the trouble is due to
the railroads failure to move freight.
The railroads answer is the announce
| ment of the Pennsylvania that it will
lay off 10 per cent. of its employees. Is
this stupidity-or criminality?
The railroads today are unable to
meet the demands made upon them, be-
cause they are undermined and in
| efficiently operated. To decrease the
operating forces is to confound con-
fusion and to add to the burden of the
nations woes. The Pennsylvania seeks
two detectives in its present so-ca11ed
retrenchment policy. In consonapce
with program mapped out by large
business interests, systematic effort is
being made to increase unemployment
and thereby, it is hoped, reduce the
worker to a state of AFFECT servility. In
other words, it is deliberately planned
to undermine his morale and destroy his
independence. Then, the Pennsylvania
management is less interested In the
operation of its lines than in the opera
ton of its speculative enterprises. Its
heart is in Wall Street and its hands are
in the pockets of the PUBLIC. 1t must
have its dividends, no matter how much
the public must suffer in consequence.
1t is going to reduce its force, thus
further facilitating its system and add
ing to the evils that result from con-
gestion and stagnation of freight. When
the railroads were taken over by the
government they were hopelessly
stunped with their problems. They had
depleted equipment and maintenance
accounts in the interest of dividends
and mere shells of railroads remained.
Under the circumstances, the nations
interests were imperilled, and it was
necessary for the government to inter-
fere to save critical situation.
Is Playing Old Game.
In reducing operating forces, the
railroads are reverting to the old sys-
tenn of paying dividends at the expense
of maintenance and operating efficiency.
The roads went back to private control
in pretty fair shape Many improve
ments had been made, the federal gov
eminent having invested more than a
billion dollars in capital charges.
All this improvement is now to be
sacrificed, because of the Unsuitable
greed of railway arrangements and
their supreme contempt for the welfare
of the nation. Reduction of forces is
little less than crime in view of ex-
isting conditions.
ruin policy, and they are likely to have
their way in both directions They are
doing everything needfu1 to make their
workers dissatisfied and resentful w.
G. Baird, president of the Chicago &
Alton, bitterly assails the wage board
for granting an increase OF wages to
transportation workers They are not
entitled to penny" he says.
Then comes the editor of the Rail-
way Age, the organ of the railroads,
with an interview declaring that the
mems wages have been advanced more
than the increase in cost of living would
justify This in face of the fact that
the highest paid conductor in the
United States after he gets the latest
award will be receiving only So per cent
more than he got before the war, and
the wage board says the cost of living
has advanced at least 100 per cent. in
that time.
Evidently the railroad presidents are
seeking trouble That has been their
attitude since the roads were turned
back by the government. With their
dividends guaranteed, they apparently
do not care whether the railroads run
or not. For months the executive of
every railroad labor organization, sup-1
ported by the overwhelming maj ority
of the offices of the local labor organ
izations has pleaded with his members
to be patient little while longer and
to continue to work But neither the |
couraged by the railroad officials. On |
the contrary, they have been subjected |
to all kinds of annoyances. why in |
hell should we worry?" was the brutal |
response of one railroad official when |
a leading labor official pleaded with him |
to do something to allay the unrest and |
keep his own road running
1t is time the people of the United |
States were getting the facts Indus |
trial disaster threatens and the men re-
sponsible are the railroad executives.
They have the equipment 70 move |
freight, and they can secure efficient |
men to operate it if they are treated |
decently. The public must intervene if |
a disaster is to be averted. j
Trickery Or Thievery?
1t is charged by editorial writers that |
the railroads are suspending men be-
fore they have opportunity to partici-
pate in the back pay award of the
wage board. Those who
are not on the payrolls on August
will not be entitled to money which they
heretofore have earned, it is said, and
will find themselves out of work as well
as out of pocket.
This is more than trickery. 1t is
plain theft. 1t is about as nasty dis
play of cupidty and greed as has ever
been given by the railroad manage
nents of this country, and that is say
ng great deal