Cleveland County herald., 1921-04-07
THE RAILROAD MIDDLE.

fIeSlueHI udrQlng ndS many Sefl- | ous problems facing him during the ! next month, but none of them are more vital or will give him greater trouble in the solving than the rail- 1oal question.
 The railroads are in a bad condi- ton, many of them facing bankrupt cyand the great question which now confronts the president and his cabi- net is the one of framing a plan to rehabilitate these properties and place them on sound financial basis.
 The matter is at point where the railroad managers feel that raise in freight and passenger rates would be detriment rather than a help. Freight rates now are excessively high and further increase would so curtail shipments that decrease of revenues would follow.
 Railway employees are fighting with all their might and main against any reduction of wages and say that the troubles which the railroads now find themselves facing is caused by inefficiency in the management rath- CT than by high wages.
 The railroads claim that 70 per cent of their revenues go to labor. They further claim that more than 90 cents of their revenues are eaten 1In in oneratinp exnenSes
 The Association of Railway Execu- tives has recently published facts and figures showing instances where the union rules are causing them to pay exorbitant prices to get certain work done. The show where men draw $20 and $25 for doing a few hours work. This comes through the overtime rule which the unions have imposed.
 We do not know whether this is borne out by facts or not, never hav- ing seen the unions side of the story. But there is no question but what a great many railroad employees are drawing big pay for very little work.
 We were talking with an acquaint- ance not long ago who is employed on the railroad and he stated that he was making from SIP to $15 per day. To us this seemed like exorbi- tant pay for the work he was doing, and he seemed to be extra well pleas ed with himself.
 President Harding has three mem- bers of his cabinet at work on this problem and from information which comes out of Washington on the sub- ject it is inferred that those who are tasked with this problem are att to find a way out without either reducing wages or increasing rates.
 We cannot see any way out of such a problem except government subsidy and the government expen- ses are at top notch now and people Ire wailing about the high taexs.
 The idea of subsidy is repugnant 0 the people. This was proved in { he several attempts which were made to provide ship subsidy in ,rder to build up merchant ma inc. (
 A commission should be apponted 0 go into every phase of the situa- { ion, including the charges of the lnion of inefficiency of manage nent and the counter charge of ex- ,rbitant wages paid to employees.
 A short time ago the employees of he Atlanta. Birmingham & Atlantic .ailroad went into strike i'll pro- est over reduction of wages. The .oad is in the hands of receiver and vas not paying expenses. In fact t is having to borrow money to pay ; he back wages of these same strik- ITS. Now the strikers are clamoring Q get back to work at the wages offered by the company.
 Railway executives have stated that f something is not done to relieve heir burdens the railway systems of he country are in danger of collapse. In which case the government would lave to step in and assume control md this, judging from former ex- ,erience, would be almost as disast- .ous.
 Whichever way you look it appears % be decidedly groggy and the solv- ng of the problem seems almost Im- possible.
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