Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-07-25

Announcement by the federal railroad
wage board on last Tuesday Of the
award made to railroad employees on their
demand for more wages, was the out
standing feature Of the week That car
ried with it increases in wages to the
amount of S6O0,00O,000 annually. 1t
shot the total railroad pay roll Of the
nation past the three billion dollar mark
a sum that would have been staggering
Tor the roads five years ago, and but TOR
the fact that there have been rGte advan-
ces given in the interim while the roads
were under government control, would
spell bankruptcy now Even the rate in
creases previously awarded were 1ot
enough Another is soon to be announced
and the logic Of common sense would
urge that the sooner it is announced the
better it will be for everybody, even
those who will contribute to the increase
IN freight rates. and that means every
user OF commodities, DO matter In what
form.
Wage Increase Retroactive.
The need for early announcement OF
freight rate increase rests IN the TACT
that it can not be retroactive until the
wage increase has been so, and there is
no necromancy Of finance Dy which the
money which goes to pay the wage in
crease between the first of last May and
the time the freight rates are moved Up
that can take care Of the added expense
caused by the wage award. Furthermore
the rate increase next to be ordered Dy
the interstate commerce COMMISSION IS
but the first of two to be granted the
carriers. as the one which viii be made
about September first will not be sutflc-
lent to take care Of all the needs of the
fp
ficiently and meet the demand Of the
time for such expansions and betermeats
as population should have.
Il NAV be said in this connection that
blame for delaying the date Of putting
the rate increase into effect does not
rest wholly with the interstate COM
merce commission. The roads must tie
their tariff sheets showing their new
rates before they are ordered into eff
feet and it is said this has not vet been
complied with by the carriers.
Advance Generally Pleasing.
Nor is the urge for more rates to
meet the added expense from increased
wages any suggestion that the railroad
employees were not entitled to more pay.
The boards award would be sufficient
answer to that objection. if itwcre made
for the subject was carefully studied for
more than four months
Generally speaking the employees of
roads accepted the advance gladly and
have indicated that they propose to
furnish a service that will mean better
return for the roads. There has been
some progress in getting the carriers
out Of the Dilemma caused by the out
law strike of a few months ago and if
the new wage does not bring better
sentiment among the employees, without
question the railroads viii soon be OPP
Grating on a basis that will provide the
service needed when it comes TO handling
the great new wealth il the crop which
is now growing
Heartens Stock folders.
The apparent disposition Of the men
to accept the new scale without furth-
err controversy had heartening effect
among holders Of railroad issues and
while there was no squirt upward in the
quotations Of shares there was a new
interest with an undertOne Of firmness
seeming to warrant the prediction that
with anything like u substantial advance
in rates when that announcement is
made will be sufficient to attract in
vestors to the market and thereby put
the leading issues back to something of
their former ratings with the buyers.
Another week of lethargic duIlnpss
must be recorded for the wool market.
Not pound mas been sold outright in
the Great Falls territory. The situation
is one of both aggravation and disap-
pointment to the growers. They are
Handicapped from two angles. First they
can not get n excess of % cents the
pound advancement on their clip when
consigned and they have no assurance
of what the probable sale price will be,
SO they are wedged between their obi
CATION for the advance and the danger Of
attempting to get further credit through
other chattels with which to meet out
sanding obligations or to undertake new
enterprise of investment.
Make Large Loans.
Many Of then have already made large
loans because Of the heavy feed bill Of