New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1921-04-30
NEW ENGL land GOVERNORS FROWN ON
REQUEST TO BOOST FREIGHT PRICES


temporary relief.
THE traffic managers of the rail-
roads think that New England bust
ness can stand this temporary ad-
vance, and the shippers are quite
positive that New England cannot.
While we cannot finally conclude
which may be right, we are strongly
of the opinion that the chances of an
unfortunate result are such that we
cannot in Difference to what we be-
lieve to be the general good of this
community recommend that any such
risk be taken.
I'VE are by no means clear as to
the way in which the proposed in
crease is to be worked out. AS it is
not fiat increase of ten per cent. it
viii i'm some instances amount to much
more, even to twenty per cent. How
these various adjustments would
satisfy the different kinds of business
we have no means of determining.
The possibilities of this situation are
such that an increase should not be
recommended unless it is known
exactly how it is to be applied.
Public Resists
THE idea of New England as a.
distinct district for rate-making pur-
poses has been resisted heretofore by
the New England public, will be re-
sisted hereafter, and ought, in our
opinion, to be objected to upon every
occasion when it is proposed. It
seems to us that neither New England
railroad executives nor any other
persons in the New England COM
munity out to propose or assent to a
scheme of rate making which will so
surely react to the disadvantage of
New England industry. and likewise
of the railroads themselves. In all es-
sential respects there is no New Eng
land railroad problem as such. 1t is
a. railroad problem for the whole
country.
Zone of the outstanding features
affecting the financial condition of the
New England railroads and of most
of the other railroads in the labor
situation When the roads were taken
over by the Federal Government
forty cents of each dollar of operating
revenue went to the payroll. When
the roads are returned to their own
ers by the Federal Government sixty
cents is going to the payroll, and the
railroads are prevented from making
and adjustments in the scale of
wages and working conditions, except
with the consent of their employees, or
failing that, by action of the Rail-
road Labor oBard. Up to the present
time no railroad has succeeded in
reaching an agreement with its en-
ployes looking to the modihction of
the wage scale or the working condi-
tions. Thus the railroads continue to
operate at a time of serious financial
difficulty under conditions which re-
quire them to use sixty cents of every
dollar of operating revenue for pay
roll purposes. No railroads have ever
operated successfully under such con-
ditions.
u Many Foolish, Rules
"a substantial increase in wages
was not only inevitable, but was man.
ifestly just. But a large portion of
increased labor costs was caused by
the enforcement of inpracticable
working rules which should be modi-
fled and which are now receiving the
attention of the Railroad Labor
Board. Until that work is completed
the railroads cannot be efficiently
operated We have undertaken to
confer with the responsible leads of
the Railroad Brotherhoods, but they
have declined to confer with us. We
have suggested to the railroad exc
cutiyes that the railroad employees
should be invited to agree to q
decrease in wages pending
the final decisions of the Railroad
Labor Board, but no action of this
kind has taken place.
1--WE believe that every effort
should be made to avert receiverships
and to extend to the railroads credit
sufficient to bridge the period of
and that any efforts to
AVOID receiverships should be COM
because of the serious results
which would follow. But we feel con-
fident that there will be no receiver
ships because of failure to secure the
suggested advance or rate. If there
should he receiverships they would |
come about for reasons other than
such refusal"