The Washington times., 1921-07-07
US. BOARD DENIES
RAILROAD LABOR
IS inefficient
HapRood Bids Congress to
Heed Report contradioing
Former Survey Of Plight
sy NORMAN HAPeooD.

By NORMAN HAPGOOD.
Replying TO the attempt Of the rail
roads to read into their Government
guarantees more than . thousand MIL
lion doliars, in obvious contradiction
of the meaning of the contract the
railroad Standardization says;
"a a matter of fact, 1t 10 the opin-
ion of the railroad administration
that so far at least as It's operations
are concerned, the widespread Alk
about the decrease In the efnciency
of labor Is grossly exaggerated, ana
that II IL were possible to make a
thorough and careful study OF the
matter based upon reliable observa-
tons and records, II would be found
that in very many instances there
had been an actual increase in EN-
cheney over previous experience In the
railroad world"
/ hope my readers will NIX that
statement in their memories ana
watch the news from Washington IN
the light of it. wish the Cummins
committee. Congress and the inter-
state Commerce Commission would
also bear II in mind.
OFFICIAL Defends Roads
The railroad administration 10 all
right II is protecting the public
The attitude of the Interstate Com
merce Commission is uncertain.
] believe that there was an tnfor-
NAL, non-binding vote taken recently
that showed a majority of one In
favor of handing the roads lot more
than is due to them
Also there Is certain official In
the employ of the commission who
has made a speech to the effect that
the railroads are telling the whole
truth and nothing but the truth, and
that they ought to have all they ask
for. This speech is now circulated as
railroad propaganda. The official has
not been punished, or. as far a. !
know. even reprimanded-
That the railroads are in a bad way.
do not deny. But why should the
public be asked to subsidize them.
GREAT WASTE FOUND.
Let US remember that a committee
OF engineers. appointed by Herbert
Hoover. certainly no Wild radical. has
reported that so per cent OF thu
waste in the Industries they have %
far studied is due to bad manage
ment Few enterprises are managed
worse than railroads
The roads paid their interest and
dividends July / by tho simple az
pedient of rot paying their other
debts. Savings banks hold "A large
part Of the railroad bonds In some
States savings banks are not AL
lowed to hold railroad bonds after
stock dividends have been passed-
Therefore it was necessary TO pay
dividends whatever happened to tba
general indebtedness
What the roads owe for hurshar.
coal, steel and also a mass of MAILER
bills, remains to a large extent un-
paid Undermafntenance Is scandal
Gus, and Is concealed to make a false
impression with the statements Be-
fore Congress decides to give away
another thousand million let us At
least have the truth
CITES BRITISH METHOD.
II Senator Cunnins does not can
back the ofncials for cross-eIAmina-
ton the reason will be obvious
The British also took over the
roads during the war. but they ars
not as kind hearted as we are They
have looked into the claims OF the
roads for one hundred and flfty mil
lion pounds and told them to take
sixty million instead
Moreover, in handing back the roads
to private ownership they have put
In provisions that to Mr.. Gompers
would look like dangerous Bolshe-
vism- There are TO be councils, with
employee representation. whose duty
1t is TO consider not only wages but
steadfness of employment and sharing
by labor in increased prosperity.
Also rates are to be simplified and
appeals from rates made cheap and
easy.
Also the earnings Of the roads are
to be standardized
Moreover. the Government repre-
septatives have informed the roads
that II they do not use for maintsn-
ance the amount advanced for main
tenancs that they will not get tbs
rest coming due ....
The roads put IN . ciatn for abpor-
NAL wear and tear. The Government
asked them: How about the parts of
the roads that have had s,b-norn,al
wear and tearT
Will any Of this hsrd-ecrse attitude
be seen in tho recomme nd atoms Of
the Cummins committee and the In
terstate Commerce Commissions VIII
IL be seen In Consrcss7 When the
President speaks on the subject, what
viii he say about it, L.
nIaIifv AIion Eo%v~S