Evening star., 1949-09-07
An Old-Ti RR Man
Discusses RR Problems-and Is Sad

Discusses Kk PrOblemS-an0 is Sad
To the Editor Of The STAR
Referring to the editorial Railroad Revo-
luton" please let me remark: We'll said and
to the point, but the operators and men lost. !"
For the next 20 years they will be retreating
until so per cent Of the rails are pulled up
and melted and assigned to other uses.
The. American railway system prior to
WorN War I was stockholders paradise
wherein the manufacture and sale of stock
was more lucrative undertaking than the
sale of transportation. These worthless rode
roughshod over the engineers, who repeatedly
pointed out the fact that most of the mileage
should be relocated and transformed from
pick -and-shovel construction, inducing sharp
curves heavy grades and rough track. Labor
was abundant and cheap, and permanent
rehabilitation should have been made. The
brokers in general were not interested, little
improvement was made, operating expenses
became higher as business and traffic in
creased. Then labor charges scared, and it
was too late. The First World War ended the
recruiting of cheap labor from the Balkan
states and Japan. New construction and
improvements came to an abrupt end.
Some of our highpowered railroads close
by were renewing annually their ties, rails
and fastenings, worn out every IL months,
but there is no other industry in the United
obsolete mechanical structures and accom-
plished so little permanent improvement as
the railroads. Paradoxically, the men who
knew these defects and could have corrected
them have been discredited. Meanwhile, the
financial and business policies of the rail
systems have been dictated by the officials OF
corporate fduciaries who spent their time
hunting lost pennies in the railroad balance
sheets.
During the depression years the whole
industry sought asylum in the Federal courts.
the lawyers became the intervenors and
operators and negotiators for working cap
ital per RFC-Government credit.
Initiative is dead. The average employe
sucks up the income Of the roads. He has
triple -barreled gun trained on the boss: His
union and arbitration board; unemployment
insurance; United States Retirement Pension
Boald. ~,t
The writer, an old timer, knows the prob
lens realize that the railroad employe, who
never knew the sufferings prior to the 16-
hour law of 40-odd years ago, has not the
slightest conception of the fact that he Is
killing his goose. He demands more money,
kidding himself into believing that all the
boss has to do is write letter to the ICC.
He bites the boss, the boss bites the public.
Like the coal miners who want two-day
week, the railroad men are hungry for the
same fare. The situation is hopeless.
As see it, the railroad men are sitting on
top Of politicians gold mine, which may
blow up and ruin them. The boys want gov
ernment ownership They may get it quicker
than they think. Then coal, SIS per cent OF
the railway burden, that yields less than 80
ner cent of the gross income, will be trans
muted into white coal' at the mines and
distributed on aluminium cable transmission
lines, networking the Nation. Then what will
become of the union, the unemployment
insurance, the Retirement Pension Board?
Well, at least one can get . couple OF
Togeenburg goats and turnip patch and
shack and from the general trend 1t seems
definitely certain that Is what many Will be
compelled to do.
AUGUST q. LIEBMANN.