Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1921-10-29

1t will thus be noted that during the
years when other industries were MAX
ing very large profits, when the prices
Of farm products and the wages Of la
Dor were soaring to unheard-of heights,
the earnings upon railroad investment
In the United States were held within
very narrow limits and that they have
during the past four years progress
sively declined.
Roads Handicapped More Than Other
Business
q The railroads are responsible to
the public for providing adequate
transportation. Their charges are linn
tied by public authority, and they are
in very large respects (notably for la.
bor) compelled to spend money on
basis fixed by public authority. The
margin within which they are permit
ted to earn a return upon their invest
ment or to offer inducements to attract
new capital for extensions and better
ments is extremely limited. However
much the railroads might desire, there
fore, to reduce their charges in times
Of depression, 1t will be perceived that
the limitations surrounding their ac-
ton do not permit them to give effect
to broad and elastic policies which
might very properly govern other lines
of business not thus restricted.
1t has been urged upon the railroads
that reduction In rates will stimu-
late traffic and that increased traffic
will protect the carriers from the loss
incident to reduction In rates. The
railroad arrangements cannot disguise
from themselves that this suggestion IL
merely conjectural and that an adverse
result of the experiment would be dis
astrOus not only to the railroads, but
to the public, whose supreme need Is
adequate transportation. Consequently
the railroad arrangements cannot feel
justified in placing these instrumental
ties, so essential to the public welfare,
at the hazard Of such an experiment
based solely upon such conjecture.
Farmers Especially Need Lower Rates
1t is evident, however. that existing
transportation charges bear in many
cases disproportionate relationship to
the prices at which commodities can be
sold in the market and that existing labor
and other costs of transportation thus
imposed upon industry and agriculture
generally burden greater than they
should bear. This IS especially true of
agriculture. The railroad arrangements
are feeling sensitive TO and sympathetic
with the distressing situation and de-
sire to do everything to assist in reliev-
ing 1t that is compatible with their duty
to furnish the transportation which the
public must have.
At the moment railroads in many cases
are paying 40c. and hour for unskilled
labor when similar labor is working along
side the railroads and can easily be OBJ
tained by them at zoe. an hour. The
railroads Of the country paid in 1920
unskilled labor alone However desirable
1t may be to pay this or that schedule
OF wages. 1t is obvious that 1t cannot be
paid out OF railroad earnings unless the
Industries which use the railroads are
capable OF meeting such charges.
The railroads and through them the
people generally, are also hampered in
their efforts to economic by schedule
force as heritage from the period Of
Federal control and upheld by the Rail-
road Labor Board. These conditions are
expensive. uneconomic and unnecessary
from the point Of view of railroad opera
ton and extremely burdensome upon the
public which pays the bill. This sched-
ule Of wages and Of working conditions
prevents the railroads from dealing
equitably with their labor costs in 40.
cordance with rapidly changing conditions
and the great variety of local considers-
tions which ought to control wages In
different parts Of the country. The rail-
roads are seeking to have these rules and
working conditions abrogated
The railroads will seek a reduction in
wages now proposed by first requesting
the sanction of the Railroad Labor Board.
The railroads will proceed with all posi-
BILE dispatch. and as soon as the Railroad
Labor Board shall have given its assent
reduction in rates will be put into effect.