The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-10-24

held within very narrow limits and
that they have during the past four
years progressively declined.
Roads Handicapped More Than Other
Business
2. The railroads are responsible to
the public for providing adequate
transportation. Their charges are linn
tied by public authority, and they are
in very large RESPECTS (notably for Ia
bor) compelled to spend money on a
basis fixed by public authority. The
margin within which they are permit
ted to earn a return upon their invest
ment or to offer inducements to at
tract new capital for extensions and
betterments is extremely limited
However much the railroads might
desire, therefore, to reduce their
charges in times of depression, it will
be perceived that the limitations sur
rounding their action do not permit
them to give effect to broad and elias
tic policies which might very properly
govern other lines of business not
thus restricted.
1t has been urged upon the railroads
that a reduction in rates will stimu.
late traffic and that increased traffic
will protect the carriers from the loss
incident to a reduction in rates. The
railroad arrangements cannot disguise
from themselves that this suggestion
is merely conjectural and that an ad,
verse result of the experiment would
be disastrous not only to the rail.
roads, but to the public, whose su,
preme need is adequate transporta-
ton. Consequently the railroad man.
agements cannot feel justified in plac
ing these instrumentalities so essen
tial to the public welfare, at the haz
ard of such an experiment based sole
ly upon such a conjecture.
Farmers Especially Need Lower Rates
1t is evident, however, that existing
transportation charges bear in many
cases a disproportionate relationship tc
the prices at which comm ODDITIES can be
sold in the market and that existing labaI
and other costs of transportation thuy
impose upon industry and agriculture
generally a burden greater than they
should bear. This is especially true oil
agriculture. The railroad mana gements
are feeling sensitive to and sympathetic
with the distressing situation and de-
sire to do everything to assist in reliev.
ing it that is compatible with their duty
TO furnish the transportation which the
public must have.
At the moment railroads in many cases
are paying 40c. an hour for unskilleC
labor when similar labor is working along,
side the railroads and can easily be OBJ.
tanned by them at 20c. an hour The
railroads of the country paid in 1920
total of considerably over 81 800 900 900 Il
unskiIled labor alone. However desirabl,
IL may be to pay this or that schedul,
of wages, it is obvious that il cannot b.
paid out of railroad earnings unless the
industries which use the railroads ar,
capable of meeting such charges.
The railroads. and through them tn,
people generally, are also hampered IL
their efforts to economic by a schedul,
of working rules and conditions now il
force as a heritage from the period o.
Federal control and upheld by the Rail.
road Labor Board. These conditions are
expensive, uneconomic and unnecessary
from the point of view of railroad opera.
ton and extremely burdensome upon the
public which pays the bill. This SEIZED
ule of wages and of working condition.
prevent the railroads from dealine
equitably with their labor costs in ac-
cordance with rapidly changing condi-
lions and the great variety'of local con
siderations which ought to control wage.
in different parts of the country The rail
roads are seeking to have these rules and
working conditions abrogated
The railroads will seek reduction il
wages now proposed by first requesting
the sanction of the Railroad Labor Board
The railroads win proceed with all posi-.
BILE dispatch, and as soon as the Railroad
, Labor Board shall have given it's assent
to the reduction of wages the genera
,, reduction in rates viii be put into. effect
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