Evening journal., 1921-10-22
full Meaning
OF RAIL STRIKE
How National Railroad
Tie-Up Will Hit the
Public
SHIPPERS MAY
BE HARD HIT

WASHINGTON-Because Of Amer
ica's dependency on railroad trans
portation facilities with the great
distances between the sources OF
food supply and the markets. pro-
tracted railroad strike would bring
extraordinary hardships.
This shows the four-way losses
that a strike OF railroad men. such
as is called for oct. 80. will entail
to the public, to shippers. to rail-
road employees and to the railroad
owners:
The 100. 100000 persons who
travel on our railroads annually
will find their travelling congested
and curtailed. II not cut off alto
gether. Thousands of these are
statesmen, and the inability OF these
men TO continue will bring an added
slump in many businesses. and pos
sibly additional unemployment for
some factory forces.
The freight-amounting to more
than $500, 100000 tons yearly, will
pile up on sidetraoks or in ware
houses.
Much OF this will be foodstuns
and coal.
Failure to keep foodstuffs moving
will bring hardship and hunger in
many places. for the average stock
kept on hand in most cities is sum
cient to supply the demand for only
o week or two.
Inability to move coal may lead
to closing OF public utilities, such az
light and power plants and street
car systems, and OF schools, and
bring hardship into hospitals and
other public Institutions.
Mails would be delayed, still fur
thcr paraiyzing business.
According to the lates figures OBJ |
tainable. S2e.T09 freight cars are |
being loaded weekly on American /
railroads. This enormous output. !
with the exception OF the small /
amount that could be distributed by /
motor units. would be cut on.
The part that vital living neces-
stiles such as food and coal. play in
this distribution. is shown by the
figures for the first three months OF
1920. when a total OF 11.7s1.247
cars. or 4o1.s1s.ses tons were ship
ped
OF this amount. agricultural prod /
ucts made up 1,045.7eS cars. or ]
2e.o23.0S7 tons. animal products (
So1.734 cars. or e.S35.1bi tons. min
eral products 4.31S.449 cars. or 206,-
296.12s tons; forest products. 800
465 cars. OF 3S.459,375 tons. and
manufactured and miscellaneous
products. 3.o6o.4so cars, or 7s,2e1,-
469 tons.
Millions Of dollars worth OF per-
ishable freight made or in the
making for shipment. would become
a total loss il cars were unobtain-
able.
The number OF railroad employees
today. following the radical reduc-
tions in personnel made by the rail-
roads during 1921. is approxi-
mately 100. 900. This is a reduc-
ton Of about 100000, or roughly. IS
per cent.
In 1920 the total payroll OF the
railroads. exclusive OF officers. is es-
timated at S3.599, 100000 for the
1,99S,524 persons who then were
employed. or an average wage OF
S1S06
Wages will be a total loss, despite
strike benefits.
Thousands OF persons are engaged
indirectly in work that has to do
with the railroads. When the men
walk out. these thousands also will
be out OF jobs. and they will have
no strike benefits TO fall back on
The strike. as planned, will tie mp
completely railroad systems whose
net earnings in 1920 were s461,922.-
77G. II would paralyze an industry
that in one year-191s-paid to It's
stock and bond holders more than
SS3o, 600. 600 in interest and divl.
dends.
The latest official figures available
for all roads show the total ont.
standing capital OF all companies &c
be s20.7S4.S32.S41, in addition tC
outstanding stock OF switching and
terminal companies amounting ts
SfR6. .O02.296. Railways themselves
hold s4.3304a3.SOe OF the former
and s112.57S.55s OF the latter. leav.
ing s16.S2s.S62.773 in the hands ot
nearly 100000 scattered stock and
bond holders. Many OF these hav,
only small holdings.