Year: 1877

LabOrers-R Read and Ponder.


The cause of the strike on all roads was
that the wages of the employees had been
reduced from 5 to 20 per cent, averaging
about 10 per cent. The trainmen gener-
ally complain that they can scarcely
support themselves and families on the
reduced wages. The railroad companies
declare the roads are making no money,
and that stock is rapidly depreciating in
value. The employees and others affirm
that the roads are paying, but that the
jealousy existing between the roads and
the rivalry shown in trying to procure
freights have had the effect to bring down
carrying rates to such q figure that the
roads are not greatly remunerative. The
striking operatives, therefore, declare that
the blame for this state Of things should
not be charged on them.


On this point a dispatch from Wash.
ington says that officials and politicians
are beginning to seriously discuss the
cause of the original strikes, and the re-
sponsibility for them and the consequent
bloodshed and destruction of property,
The terrible uprising of the hungry mass
es has opened the eyes of many to


THE LABORERs' SIDE OF THIS AWFUL STORY !;
And it begins to look as though the great
railroad corporations would be forced by
public opinion to let up on the grinding
process which they have been rractic-
ing on their train hands and laboring
help.


Already there is q very bitter public
sentiment against the Baltimore & Ohio
Road, and it has been increased rather
than lesseLed by the tricky subterfuge
wherewith the road is endeavoring to in
duce its train men to the belief that the
reduction of wages was necessity. In
his report to a Committee of the strikers,
John King, Jr., First Vice President Of
the Baltimore & Ohio Road, dilates at
considerable length on the depression of
business, and the need of economy, and
then gives table to show that the strik-
ing engineers, fremen and trainmen are
receiving more even after the ten per
cent. reduction than they did before the
war. Of course be takes no notice of the
fact that the cost of living is about twice
as much as it was before the war.


Of the worst grievance of the Baltimore
q Ohio men-that they were only given
three or four days work in the week, and
were not paid for time when they were
obliged to ''lie over" at points away from
their homes, and, of course, at an extra
expense to themselves-Mr. King makes
virtue, by saying that the road decided
that it was more charitable to employ
more men than it needed, giving each
few days work per week, than to employ
a smaller number and keep all on full
time. There are some facts, however,
that cannot be washed out by such cant,
and 80 long as Mr.. Garrett pays himself
a salary of $25O 900 or


FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR AS


PRESIDENT


OF the road, and his under officers in
proportion so long as Mr. Garrett and
the Directors, who own nearly all the
stock, pay themselves eight, and until
this year, ten per cent. dividends, when
the Government can get all it wants for
four per cent, and private capitalists are
glad to get five and six so long as the
Directors of the Baltimore & Ohio Road
join with the other trunk lines west, pool
their earnings, and put up the price of
freight 25 per cent. so long as their main
losses are losses occasioned by ruinous
and unnecessary competition among
themselves and so long as the Baltimore
& Ohio Directors issue reports setting
forth how rich they are getting, and what
a hourishing condition their road is in,
they will hardly get long suffering pub
lie to believe that there is any necessity
for them to cut down the wages of men
who have only been able to earn trife
over three dollars per week, especially as
the reaction proposed would only effect
total saving of about $4,000 which
amount Mr.. Garrett might spare from his
salary without missing it.


The Pennsylvania Rail Road is also


IN THE SAME BOAT.


From its own report it appears that for
the year ending December 81, 1875 it
earned $26 392.O69 SO and after paying a
dividend of s per cent, the interest upon
its funded and floating debt, tax on divi-
dend4, rentals, and all expenses Of every
name and nature, it still has surplus of
earnings for the year of $15lO 9S4 40,
which added to surplus fund previously
accumulated swelled that surplus to the
enormous aggregate of $1OO54l97 OS. Be-
sides all this they report cash balance
of 81 854 945 20 in the treasury, and in
the hands of agents the sum Of $175S.-
400 II more. That is to say, according to
to their own report, there was in the
Treasury January l, 1877, available cash
assets amounting to $96l9315 09 derived
from the profits OF the preceding year,


And still these great monopolies


PLEAD POVERTY AS AN EXCUSE
For grinding down their laborers, and
L IL L., Al,A ~