Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-21
REVISIONS OF RAILROAD RATES
ARE FORECAST BY EASTMAN
Commissioners Declares Bus
Lines VIII Cooperate
Rather Than Fight.
Wage Reduction Suggested
as One Means of Meeting
Needs of Carriers.
BY JOHN +. sINCLAIR.

NEW YORK, May 81 (N.A.N.A).-
Railroad rate reVisionS are coming, ac-
cording to Joseph B. Eastman, inter-
state commerce commissioner. in an
address yesterday before the New York
Trafiic Club. Mr. Eastman inttmated
also that rail and bus freight men
should cooperate rather than fight
each other at this time.
Wall Street is frankly disturbed over
the failure of car loadingS to hold up.
Overhead expenses are cutting into
profits, and in some cases are going
right into red figures. What can be
done? is the question asked on all sides.
Cut wages Immediately and you will
see a change for the better in business
prominent Wall Street investment
banker.
But when one Of the leading railroad
presidents was asked If reduction in
wages is the solution he replied as fol-
lows:
Hardly! II the railroads of this
country attempted cut of 10 or 20
per cent in wages today the process
would be so full of judicial red tape
fore a decision would be handed down.
Most people don't understand that. But
the railroad executives do. And so do
the railroad brotherhoods. Improve
ment in the railroad situation for the
next IL months at least must come
from other sources than through wage
cutting
One railroad labor leader puts the
shoe on the other foot, and suggests
that the number OF executive officers
managing the average railroad today Is
two or three times the number needed.
He suggests cutting down the number.
There are altogether too many rail-
road executives" said this labor leader
THE Interstate Commerce Commission
has taken a vast amount of work away
from them and today most of them are
ONCE boys carrying out the bidding of
the commission. Here's a place where
real cuts could be made without dam
aging railroad efficiency or tampering
SO the answer Is not 50 simple as
some people believe.
Are American women one of the
causes of the depression in this coun-
try? Absolutely, declares DR.. H. Rob-
ert Welt, Swiss lawyer and economist
revisiting this country. DIR. Welt, as
sort of afterthought, adds other rea-
sons, including high tariff. standard
ized American psychology and medic
val lawlessness'
The doctor feels that Americans have
a too highly developed cult of the
feminine, resulting in lack of creative,
constructive power" and that American
men waste their time and energy on
women who are not as well blessed
mentally as those in Europe
So here is another item that can be
added TO the museum of depression
causes" already overstocked with ex-
hibits. No doubt much of DR.. Weltis
rancor has its source in the fact that
Swiss business men have lost some So
0O0,0 through the adoption of the
American tariff
Andre Mauroise, versatile French
writer, gets a little closer to flnda-
mentals in his comparison of America
before and after" the crash. M. Mau-
roise says that Americans let them
selves go on joyride of optimism with
no thought of accident insurance. After
the wreck they have tried to carry on
with the old formula Of optimistic slo-
gans. but are slowly coming to think
otherwise
The paramount consideration now,