The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-10-27
Per cent
calendar year,

1t will thus be noted that during
the years when other industries were
making very large profits, when the
prices of farm products and the wages
OF labor were soaring to unheard-of
heights, the earnings upon railroad
investment in the United States were
held within very narrow limits and
that they nave during the past four
years progressively declined.
Roads handicapped More Than other
Business.
q. The railroads are responsible to
the public for providing adequate
transportation. Their charges are lim-
tied by public authority, and they are
In very large respect (notably for
labor) compelled to spend money on
basis fixed by public authority. The
margin within which they are permit
ted to earn return upon their In
vestment or to offer Inducements to
attract new capital for extensions and
betterments Is extremely limited.
: However much the railroads might
desire, therefore, to reduce their
charges In times Of depression, 1t will
be perceived that the limitations sur
rounding their action do not permit
them to give effect to broad and elias.
tic policies which might very prop
erly govern other lines of business not
thus restricted
~ mas been urged upon the railroads
traffic and that Increased traffic will pro
tect the carriers fro m the loss incident
70 reduction In rates. The railroad
-
selves that this suggestion Is merely con
jectural and that adverse result OF
onev ohe experiment ,d h woud be disastrous, not
! portation.
Consequently the railroad manap.msnts
cannot feel Justified n placing these in
strumentalities. essential to the public
welfare. at the hazard of such an expert
meht based solely upon such conjecture
Farmers Especially Need Lower
Rates.
1t is evident, however. that existing
transportation charges bear in many
I cases dispropOrtionate relationship to the
prices at which commodities can be sold
and other costs OF transportation thus
impose upon industry and agriculture
generally a burden greater than they
should bear. This is especially true or
agriculture. The railroad mana gements
are feeIlng sensitive to and sympa the tic
with the distressing situation and desire
10 DO everything to assist in relieving
IT that is compatible with their duty 10
furnish transportation which the public
must have.
At the moment railroads In many cases
are paving 40 cents an hour for unskilled
labor when similar labor is working along
slde the railroad and can easily be OBJ
tanned by. them at 20 cents an hour The
railroads OF the country paid in 1920 a
! total of considera bly, over 81 300 600 GOO 70
unski.Ied labor alone. However desirable
. IT may be to pay this or that schedule OF
/ wages. 1t is obvious that il cannot be
. pald out OF the railroad earnings, unless
, the industries which use the railroads are
! capable OF meeting such charges
| Ihe railroads, and through them the
! people generally are also hampsred in their
! eHorts to economize by a schedule OF
working rules and conditions now in
! force as heritage from the period of
Feds raj 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 burIcnsome upon the
public which pays the bill The schedulr
OF wages and Of working conditions pre-
vents IL" rallrOads rom dealing cnuita -
bly with their labor and costs i'm orrnrd- l.
tnce with rapidly changing conditions and
the great variety o. local cOnsIdrra tions
which ought to cOItrOl wages i'm differ
snt parts OF the country The railroads
are seeking to have these rules sanG
working conditions abrosated
The railroads. will e"ok a reduction T.,
wages now proposed 10y first r,olestine
the sanction of the raj roHd labor hoard
The Railroads will proceed with all nos
SIDE SlFrdtch, and as soon rs the r = IIroa
iapor board shall hay. given it's assepi
20 the reduction in wages the general re-
'uo''oh III races Will be pu. into srsc