New-York tribune., 1920-10-20

deciding upon large programs of capi-
tai expenditures, is: Will the public
and the regulating bodies to which thev
are subject be willing to have rates
maintained in normal times on a haa;s
that will yield revenues sufficient to
pay the high rates of interest which
capital now commands for loans nepo-
t'ated! This is one Of the important
questions, the answer to which it is
olmcuit to forecast, no matter how
great and accurate ones vision of tho
future may be.
Another and hardly less important
and difficult question to forecast is the
extent to which in the future the low
atty and efficiency of their subordinate
officials and employees can be reastab-
lished and relied upon by the RAILWAYS
in order that their service NAV meet
the just expectations of the public.
There is very close analogy be-
tween the nature and character Of the
service for the country by the rank and
file in the railways employ and that OF
the army and navy in defense of the
country. For the same reasons and to
practically the same extent are LOYALTY.
training and efficiency required and
must discipline be maintained. The
analogy fails as respects the pay of the
two branches of public service, AS also
the governments policy as respects
loyalty of service, discipline, ETC.. re-
quircd
Policy Wcakens Morale
Beginning in 1915 and continued and
enlarged greatly during Federal CON
troll of the railways. a policy was estab-
hshed. and has since been pursued
winch has greatly undermined and
weakened the efficiency, loyalty and
morale of many railway men; not the
oIder' conservative element so much as
the younger. which is probably the
larger by reason of the fact that with
the eight-hour day established during
Federal control in all branches of the
service many young and more or less
inexperlenced men had to be employed
to meet the twenty -four-hour day re-
quirement of railway service.
Very few outside the circles of rail
way management have any conception
of how widespread and serious has
2een. and still is, the disorganizinr ef-
feet of the Federal Administrations
policy in handling labor questions. It
CERTAINTY IS impossible now TO foretell
with any degree of accuracy what the
effect of this situation is going to he
as respects the proper and satisfactory
solution OF the railway problems of the
future. Some little idea of what the
situation is has been indicated bv the
| favor with which the so-called "Pumh
plan" has been received and exploite d
by railway employees in some branches
OF the service. as also by the "outlaw'
! and other strikes that have broken out
sporadically in different parts of the
country.
Finally, as before stated, it should
not be overlooked nor undcrstated th at
the railway plant of the country, owing
TO the war and other conditions prev
ously indicated herein, is not equal to
the requirements Of the country as a
whole as respects its Transportation
service. This is equally true as re-
spects the housing situation and re-
quirements throughout the country. as
Is VIGOROUSLY known. Likewise the
same is true as respects the CITY and
lnterurban trolley line service. and for
the same reasons
Cause of High Prices
Prices of everything for human usc
or consumption indicate shortage
equal to and in most cases preater