The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-01-30

excess, will convince even the most careless
man and the most prodigal spender OF his
sustenance that the time is at hand when the
laws of the land must be invoked to check
the grasping and wholesale sandbag methods,
which these companies are using under pro-
lection of the law. Just few minutes time
devoted to the study of railway operation,
as practiced by all the companies, big, small
and smallest, since the Interstate Corporation
Commission granted the increases asked in all
tarlif rates, and since the state commissions
in most Of the states issued orders making the
intrastate rates correspond with the interstate
rates, and even tn most Obtuse observer will
be forced to acknowledge that, putting it in
the mildest possible form, the owner compa-
MES have acted in pad faith, and are now
acting in bad faith with both the national
government and the individual.
Every time you ga to buy ticket, Mr..
Travelling Man, and are called upon to pay
three and nine-tenths cents per mile for each
mile travelled, as against two cents paid dur
ing pre-war days; every time you buy a berth
in the Pullman and pay the original advanced
rate, plus the surtax, which goes to the rail-
way company and not to the Pullman people /;
every time, Mr. Merchant, Mr.. Livestock Man,
Mr.. Shipper of any description, you pay freight
on consignment of goods, pause and figure
up the advanced cost, and then ask yourself
why you should do so.
You will be told that the advance charges
were considered necessary by the Interstate
Corporation Commission; and by the Okla
homa Corporation Commission, because the
government had saddled such q high wage
scale upon the companies; because every en-
gineer, every fireman, every conductor, every
| brakeman, every section foreman, every sec
ton snpe ever freight handler, every car
frog, every machinist, every helper Of every
sort had to be paid this tremendous wage-scale
and because this could not be done and the
rail companies draw down that six per cent
guaranteed upon their investments unless Mr.
Jones, that much abused individual who pays
the freight" wipes out his troubled smile with
a smile and digs down in his Jeans for the
hike in tariffs.
After you have been told this, open the
note book in which Recollection pencils tho
lchrOniclings OF the day, and you will fine
that no sooner had the Interstate Commerce
Commission invaded the sacred territory o.
state rights, that the railway owning compa
MES began to display the cloven hoof. Scarce
ly was the ink dry upon the order Of tht
state commission, ip Oklahoma, making in
|trastate correspond with interstate rates, il
compliance with orders from the Interstat,
Commission, than the telegraph wires carried
stories of reduction in shop forces on th
lroad, that road and the other road, while
every road, everywhere, according to pres
reports, started in with more or less whole
l sale reduction in switching and train crews.
) Added to this we find that, still not sat
isfied. many articles have been reclassified
which adds materially to the already extor
= tionate freight charges which are paid in th
l end by Mr.. JONES' the ultimate consumer, ant
2 that now the Association of Railway Execu
= tves, according to prediction, will possibl,
endeavor to have the matter brought befor
;, the United States Railroad Labor Board witt
: a request for general reduction in wage
5 of all railway employees.
t Look into this matter carefully, all Vol
: who are weary and heavily laden with tn
$ burden of excessive passenger, Pullman an
: freight rates, and then ask yourselves HOY
s much longer this legalized holdup will be pei
e mitted. Asked yourself if there is on balm i
: Gilead, no law which may be invoked, n
, manner in which the rights of the public ma
: be respected through the enforcement of leg
e islation which it may be possible to enact?
:, As we understand it, Mr.. Jones is wllin
to pay the freight, just as long as that none
i is used for the purposes for which it wa
/ asked, but just as soon as the railway owner
: and operators broke their pledge and lai
off shop and train crews and reduced wag,
e scales. then the order of the Interstate Coz
y poraton became morally invalidated an
o should be invaidated legally, also
I'd the promise lay hold upon the hope set bcfo