The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1935-12-26
RE !S

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Another forth In manner
Problem what ! believe to
be one OF the
greatest dangers OF the present day,
namely, the absence OF clear think
ing. In the Townsend plan, as IN
many other problems that CONFRONT
the nation ut the moment, indl-
vlduals seem prone 20 jump at con-
illusions without Analysing what.
conditions actually are and without
considering what the ultimate eifect
would be.
IL seems worth while 10 consider
another national problem wlSch,
though OF an economic nature ana
less sensational in its outward APP
pearance, is nevertheless very real
This problem concerns our trans
portatlon system.
Shortly after President Roosevelt
took Office we were deluged with
argument that amounted 10 propa-
ganda favOrlng government owner
ship of the railroads. There was q
reaction against this idea. The re-
action was so strong that few pol
iticians dared to unlOOse their
demagOgery I'm favor OF government
ownership. Yet, Il is perfectly evil
dent that those who favor perpetu-
ating private enterprise which is
always more efficient and less waste
full than any government are In dan
ger OF being lulled TO sleep. Crack
pots and misguided theorists in
great numbers still favor govern
ment ownership OF the railroads.
Certain developments Of the past
several months confirm the state
ment have Just made. Taken sing
ly, these developments appear in-
significant. Collectively, they are
very important.
have heard it charged that gov
eminent ownership advocates have,
well-laId plan to wreck private
ownership in the rail industry. This
charge goes further. II asserts that
those who seek to destroy our prof.
it system are proceeding, piecemeal,;
to load q burden OF charges upon
the railroads so that in the end it
will be a physical impossIbilIty for
the railroads TO earn a profit.
Obviously, II that end were at.
tanned, bankruptcy would follow.
Then, there would
Means be no alternative
Bankruptcy but legislative ac-
..- .--- -.- ton placing the
railroads In government ownership.
Our wartime experience ought TO
be sufficient to demonstrate how the
costs mount when the government
operates the railroads. It means
more taxes on every one of us who
has income whether It be large or
small.
But to get back to the develop
ments mentioned earlier. Whether
there exists an actual plan to drive
the railroads into bankruptcy or
not, the developments certainly are
subject TO that surmise. One of the
items OF expense, q new burden
OF cost that is proposed TO be load
ed on the railroads, is the rail pen
sion law. ] have seen some Stats
IDEAL calculations which were con-
vincing to me nc least that the
charges proposed to be levied upon
the railroads by the law will not
work out In the manner their pro-
ponents claim. The bin would as
sess each rail corporation 3h per
cent Of Its pay roll and each work
er would contribute a proportldnate
amount Of his salary toward his
pension when he retIres. Like the
Townsend plan, no one can argue
against the fine spirit actuating q
move to protect the retired work.
ers. But to go behind the figures ut
the start one finds certain astOnish-
Ing facts. Almost any way, almost
any method, one uses TO calculate
this cost, forces the conclusion that
after eight or ten years the pension
system will have expanded to such
an extent that the railroads win be
carrying an annual charge On their
payroll of not 31k per cent but an
proximately Is per cent. / think II
goes without saying that no indus.
try can bear such a tax.
In addition to the pension propo.
sltion, labor unions, aided by their
cats'-paws In congress have kept
up a steady machine gun fire. de-
handing first one thing and then
another from the carriers. For in
stance, one OF the current demands
and 1t Is likely to succeed In some
form-is the movement for shorter
hours for practically the entire LIST
of railroad employees. or course.
the railroads cannot justify work
Ing their employees longer than
eight hours except in an emergency
1t is possible that a seven-hour dav
might be practiced. But even n
seven-hour day would mem that
the railroads must add to their on
Grating costs, and any item added
to operating costs reduces the
chance OF the corporations for an
even break between income and out-