Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-03-16
Railroad Issue Becoming Acute

Railroad Issue Becoming Acute
Washington, March 12.-Senator
Cummins of Iowa, joint authro OF
the Cummins-Esch railroad act, de-
clares his intention of asking con-
eress for authority to conduct, with
the assistance of the commerce COM
mittee of the senate, a thorough IN
vestigation into the railroad situa-
ton.
He will act on the first day of the
extraordinary session. By that tlme'
iudeiug from the celerity with which
DEVELOPMENTS are rushing to head
the inevitable "blow-off" will have
arrived. Congress and the administra-
tion at this date realize that some
thing must be done to save either
the railroads of the country from
general bankruptcy, or the commerce
of the country which on account OF
exorbitant freight traffic, can not
move with essential smoothness.
The announcement of the Penn
sylvania railroad that it will reduce
the wages of its employees will De
followed by similar announcements
by all other railroads. 1t is undoubt-
edly true that the employees will not
suffer such reduction without violent
protest. 1t would cause little surprise
were numerous strikes to be devei-
oped. At any rate there is no ques-
ton but that the situation is Serious
and that in it's present status, it can
not much longer endure
Cause Uncertain.
AS previously pointed out in this
correspondence, nobody knows where
the trouble lies. Because of general
ignorance, Senator Cummins regards
it as absolutely essential that an
investigation be had. The interstate
commerce commission is authority
for the statement that the condition
of railroads grows more distressing
month by month, and that no reduc-
tion in rates could justly be order
ed; and that freight and passenger
traffic correspondingly decreases. 1t
is reported to Washington each day
from each section of the country that
producers can not reap even modest
profit when cost of transportation is
unbearable.
The Cummins-Esch act was pur-
posely made exceedingly liberal and
generous to the. railroads in order
that they might have an opportunity
to get on their feet. 1t is held by
Senator Cummins and other infuen-
tial members Of congress that if un-
der that act the railroads can't give
good service at fair rates, something
is radically wrong. 1t is for the pur-
pose of ascertaining what is wrong
that Senator Cummins will ask for
the investigation.
The consuming and shipping pub
lie represent to Washington that they
are the victims of organized labor
and organized capital, that each is a
selfish interest, and as result of such
selfshness, the ordinary man, affiliat-
ed with neither, must bear an over
increasing burden. 1t is contended
that capital opposes the constant de-
mand of labor for increased wages
only on account of it's difficulty in
finding new methods of transferring
the expense involved to the should
ers of the people; that the contem-
plated wage reduction by the Penn
sylvania and other railroads is due
to the fact that in the present mo-
ment, the railroads have absolutely
no chance of further depressing the
people.
Blame Put On Labor.
The railroads offer a tentative ex-
PLANTATION by pointing to laws of
congress enacted at the demand and
as result of the threat of organized
labor which reduced hours of work
and increased wages at the same time.
That the money thus involved makes
the cost of transportation prohibitive
is also an argument.
Labor, on the other hand, declares
that capital is proverbially selfish
and that railroads can not earn a fair
return on their stock because the
stock, we'll "watered," exists only in
the imagination. Senator Cummins
realizes that the time has come when
the truth must be ascertained.