Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1921-01-06
HOW WE MAY SEE.

INV w ~ Nh
The iniquities of the Esch- Cummins
act passed by congress last spring
are now being seen more clearly.
When they are fully understood by
the public this infamous piece of rail-
road legislation will be known as the
crime of 1920. Never was more
outrageous law forced upon the Amer
lean people.
When the measure was being crit
icised at the time of It's passage those
who voted for it in Congress held
themselves out as defenders of the
public against the aggregations of or
gained railroad employees. They made
a labor issue out of it, representing
themselves as standing between the
public and selfish railroad workers
who were seeking to manipulate the
railroads for their own advantage
AS matter of fact it was not la
Dor issue. The labor end of it was the
least important aspect What those
responsible TO rthe measure really did
was to betray the American public for
the benefit of the capitalists who own
the railroads. Then they tried to es-
cape under a smoke cloud of prejudice
against organized labor. They did
not defend the American shippers and
consumers; to the contrary, they be-
trayed them. 1t was clear case of
treason to the interests of the people.
The true inwardness and meaning
of the Esch-Cummins act now begins
to be seen by even the least informed.
The most supplemented cannot shut
his eyes to the startling increase in
railroad rates which the law has
caused. Under it the Interstate Com
merce Commission was compelled to
grant eXorbitant increases, which in
this territory are twenty-five per cent
on all freight rates, twenty per cent
on passenger fares and so per cent
on Pullman charges. 1t is estimated
that the annual charge upon the pock-
ct of the people of the nation which
the increased rates will produce is
over 1,500,000,000, the equivalent to
SIS for each family in America.
1t was obvious to thise who under
stood the Esch- Cummins act that the
United States treasury would be ri
fled under the provisions by which
earnings were guaranteed for a lin
tied time. Under that provision $780,
100000 has already been taken out
of the treasury by the railroad own
ers, and it is now stated that another
$3.50 100000 will be required to dis
charge the obligation which was as
sumed by that act.
The railroad fnanciers, at whose
behest the transportation act became
a law, and it has been so charged on
the floor of the House and has never
been denied, have been quick to avail
themselves of the jokers concealed in
the law. The act did not bind them
to economical management. No mat
ter what they spen they are guaran-
teen six and half per cent on the in
vestments, and which increases the
possibility for profit on the outside,
as the railroad managers are all in
terested in outside projects which
make their profits from railroad pat
ronage.
1t was charged few days ago by
Representative Huddleston on the
floor of the House that practically all
of the great railroads of the country
are letting their repair work, or a
large portion of it, to outside shops in
which the directorate holds stock,
paying eXorbitant costs. Mr.. Huddle-
ston produced the evidence, and show
ed that the Erie railroad had actually
leased its shops and was paying enor-
nous sums for its repairs over the
costs formerly entailed,
A few days ago President Wilson
its purpose the further postponement
vetoed Senate bill 1926 which had for
of the effective date of Section 10 of
the Clayton antitrust act. Few peo-
pie appreciate the great Importance Of
this veto, and now the shrewd man at
the White House has already taken
his stand against the iniquities of this
hold-up legislation.
AS the practice of contracting with
outside concerns in which they were
interested developed and the railroad
fnanciers saw what splendid oppor-
tunity for looting they had, it became
obvious to them that section 10 of the
antitrust act would be inconvenient
if their operations were to continue.
They dreaded competitive bidding.
They were unwilling even to go