The Washington times., 1922-12-28

to expose 1t and in order to i'm
prove it.
The first Is the bill introduced
into the United States Senate by
Senator johnson Of California, bold
ly proposing that the Interstate
Commerce Commission shall permit
no railroad to declare a dividend
on it's stock until the commission
Is satisfied that the equipment pos
sessed and operated by the railroad
is sufficient to meet "the reason
able requirements of the public
which 1t serves"
The second is a sweeping order
by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission decreeing and starting
complete inquiry Into the present
amount and condition of railroad
equipment on all American rail-
roads.
The third is the Forthcoming ac-
ton of the Interstate Commerce
Commission on a petition presented
to it by William III. Johnston, pres
tdent OF the International Associa-
ton OF Machinists: and 1t is believed
that this action will consist of an
order declaring an investigation of
certain named railroad companies
i III OIucf " utItTIIllDe WnetneT OF
not those companies are squander-
ing their funds and running their
supply of cars and locomotives by
continuing their stubborn struggle
against the unions Of their striking
shopcraft employees.
These three blows together are
going to make a great many rail-
road companies in America feel ex-
traordinarily grieyed. Senator john
son has accumulated figures to
show that while a great multitude
OF farmers in the American West
have been financially broken and
bankrupted by the failure Of the
railroads to move their crops there
are five Western railroads which In
1920 and 1921 We're able not only
to meet all the interest on their
bonds, but also to pay out more
I than $3.50, 0,000,00 in profits on their
stock.
/ Senator johnson has taken the
legislative lead in dealing with this
prime question Of American indus
try. and he has taken II by Offer
ing the following proposition as a
suggested partial remedy:
Z Railroads are given the right to
condemn property and to take 1t
for railroad use because that use
Is for the service of the public.
Railroad property Is property dedi-
Gated to a public use. The rail-
roads are bound to provide the
means by which the public can be
adequately served. They must
therefore-after meeting the inter-
est on their bonds-provide an ade.
quate amount Of equipment before
they put aside money for profits
for their stockholders.
In the last twenty-one years the
railroads have continually gone
downward, when they should have
been going upward. in providing
freight cars. In the years from
1900 to 1907 inclusive they built
about 25o,000 freight cars a year.
In the years from 1907 to 1914 they
built about 10000 a year. In the
years from 1914 to 1921 they built
less than 100000 a year. And this
year they will build only about
! 80 900. Such are the figures re-
Gently supplied to government Off.
cials here.
1 Manifestly in such circumstances
the railroads could take care Of our
! growing railroad traffic only IL they
made a most efficient use Of their
existing equipment and kept 1t In
,epIendii condition. Because OF the
strike, however, and because OF the
resistance of certain numerous rail-
roads to any sort Of moderate COM
promise adjustment with their strik-
ing shopcraft employees, the condi-
tion Of large percentage Of Amer.
! lean railroad equipment today Is
wretrhed. On one Of Americas
leading railroad systems-a system
which Is alwavs advertising it's har-
monicus relations with its men, but
which in fac, is conducting a per-
fec-iv prodgal fight against the
skilled mon who used to work for
II and who are now still on strike
the percentage Of out-of-order loco
motives ,> forty-three. This rail-
road now has to get along with
just fifty seven out Of each 100
locomotives which 1t owns.
Y On only a few Of the railroads
which are still holding out against
q settlement with the strikers are
equipment conditions tolerable.
These railroads are accused-not
only by union leaders. but by high
4 Governmental officials-with being
K willing to cripple the public service
in order to indulge themselves in a
fight against unions. II by fight
ing the unions they were improving
,the service to the public. the In
II terstate. Commerce Commission
.could not touch them, and presum-
ably would not wish to touch them.
The situation actually revealed,
however, Is that by fighting the
unions they have got themselves
into a position in which they are
responsibly charged with having
X greatly and gravely impaired and
endangered their service to the
shipping and travelling public; and
the Interstate Commerce Commits
I sion is now about. TO touch them