New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-02-18
CASE OF THE RAILROADS

The farmers of the country have
no objection whatever to the pay
ment OF liberal wages Is railroad
employees, or to the establishment
Of rules necessary to protect the Ii
YES of railroad employees and the
travelling public. They will be glad
TO see prosperity among railroad
workers and Contentment every
where. But farmers, like all other
patrons OF the railroads and payers
al wages, desire 10 see an equitable
adjustment of wage and working
conditions so that there shall be no
fayoritism under the sanction OF the
law. If the channels OF labor move
ment are free and open, and men
come or 60 in response to the law
Uf supply and demand, the farmer
snd other employer will be glad to
take their chance with the railroads.
Hut SO FAR as railroad employ
mtnt IS concerned, the channels OF
lab. movement and the fixing OF
H4Ets are NOT open The Govern
ulent, through its interstate CONNER
&c Commission fixes railroad rates,
and. through other agencies, fixes
the rate a. wages TO De paid the
.ruqloyccs. The rates must be high
enough 90 pay the cost OF operation
together with a profit ou the IN
yes,mcnt. The producer Of raw mo
t|crials, and the consumer 81 cithcI
raw or manufactured materials, the.
rciore. indirectly pay the wages OF
She railroad employee. Every man
bhO buys goods hat have been shi-
ppcd by rail, has an interest in the
question OF wages paid on railroads.
Moreover, every employer OF labor
has an indirect interest for If rail-
road wages be abnormally high, they
overt an influence upon wages IN
other industries. The railroad wage
question is not and cannot be an is
sue between the railroads and their
employees alone.
A few facts very briefly stated
will show various respects in which
the public is financially interested in
matters of railroad management. In
1917, while the roads we're under
private Management, there were 5O2,-
S2S workers employed in the shops
in 1870 there were 443,7I4, an in
crease OF more than 20 per cent with
no corresponding increase IN the
amount of work to be done The
wages paid to the shop employees
increased during that time about $50
per cent. There was enormous in
crease N the number of clerks en-
yloyed in railroad offices, and in
creases in the number OF trainmen
IN proportion to the mount OF train
-mileage. In other words, govern
uent operation meant tremendously
enhanced cost Of operation under
agreements or regulations which
made il impossible for the private
owners to return 10 normal when
they again took control. There were
increases IN freight and passenkc-
rates, IL is true. with the intention
that these increases should cover the
increased costs of operation, but the
Industrial depression resulted in de-
creased freight movement and de-
creased passenger traffic, SO that
earnings were cut off, with no cor
responding opportunity to cut ex-
penses. Wages in other industries
came down, but the rail wages were
fixed by government regulation u
such a way that they could not 90
reduced.
The public pays the bill-or must
pas IL eventually I'M onc way or an-
f, Fer. li The roads arc. uo' permit.
sca 10 bring their c.Htu>., within
incomes, there VIII be dimn
sgr.i G., detcri1ratcd cgaipu.r
and eventual ban rrnt-y Baulr pt-
Iur thc 3. i'roais would be nor th1n
iniu.firc 20 st0ckluIdHrs-.t Wu".d