Show I PROTEST OF TH lABORING MEN New Factor in iii the Fight for Rail Bail Railway way Rate te Regulation I FEAR REDUCTION OF WAGES NOTABLE SPEECH BY SENATOR LONG OP KANSAS L A No Nov WASHINGTON V V proto t wn made to th the tOllay railroad fright rate J legislation The protest La as filed by ot the five labor connected ith Hh engineers fire li hl conductors and train The members ot of the d called on the tho president the tho 8 voral Ol organizations The They out to him that railroad thIn logically meant th tho lowering of rates This they contended will be Col 01 td by a lea oC the earning power ower ot o raIlroads and consequently by eventually in the wages oZ ot The delegation whIch called On the tho came from tw twIve lve states and represented aU all or of the tho larger S of railroads Statement Thc statement presented by MV Mr was as follows The Thc railroad and de dependent pendent upon thorn represent upward of ot or people In this country md whose earnings amount to annually Wo We be bc l kec no thorn there is no other class of Amen Ameri Amerian Ament t an workmen who present a higher standard or of citizenship than th the railroad and wo we also claIm kLim that we are entitled to fair and Impartial consideration in the framing Ot or adoption of an any national legislation that threatens our general prosperity w e take keen and Interest In all matt matters rs that seem to conduce toa to a tr and broader standard of condl condi I Uns for the tho men of this coun countr country tr try and it is not strange that since sinco the inception of this move aunt for national legislation upon rail read Nad rates all railroad es have from time to time and In varIous ways expressed their convictions For ox ex the tho Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen with a 3 membership of rs at their last annual meeting 1 n Buffalo last s spring adopted Ui tins ns or of the tho most emphatic nature a against any reduction in railroad rates The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engl Engi fIrs and the Brotherhood of at tIe Firemen 11 have VO ex expressed similar lows by official utterances and the sam samo can bo be said ot of the National assocIation The order of Conductors at their biennial at Portland Ore last May nd resolutions of the same na nature nature ture Million of Votes ThE membership ot of these or is now n little more than and there thero are still behind us another r full 1111 of laborers In the railroad orld who would be similarly affected b by any reductions in the earning ca ot of the tho railroad lines Jines ot of this countr and what us with n lr force forc than thon any sIde sido of the issue is thi th Why Vh have havo the railroad interests in particular boon selected for at 1 tk k Why Vh Is the Interstate or so o le io similar commis sin not to be clothed with the same ab absolute authority to fix the prices on beef pork oil all clothing but butter buttor tor ter and eggs fact overy everything thing ono one has hns to buy every day It to us that such a step Would be more reasonable than this move on railroad rates be I aU all o of these and nna other tics have a bY leaps and bounds and by methods which wo we aU all i would boar bear Investigation while whilo 1 the general average ot of railroad freight i ratEs ats has steadily from 2 cuts Per ton pOI por mile In down to I of 1 cent per ler ton per por mile mUe 1 today and during the past ten years the railroad companies have ranted granted wn wage o con concessions to their t and also ameliorated labor Limit Reached That the railroads of the country 1 Fave 1 been enabled to reduce rates and at the same time timo advance wage wag and largo large stuns Bums tn In the physical Im HO me nt ot of their properties Is due to the or of oC grade gradel l l ftc etc double or of cars Increased sod hauling rower power of and superior character of service rendered showing in hi instances es an increase of per r cent cont In t tonnage Vo 0 believe that In this In earning power and econom tal al management the limit Umit has been Therefore we believe bellee that we a fall fair and just view of the situ at aton on when wo So claIm that 1 no national should be 10 ado adopted ted which taU tend Ia fh any degree degroe to Interfere or Interrupt the tho present or 01 future futuro or of the railroad S h ft this country Concluding Remarks Iii In presenting to the president the thet t f statement Mr r Huntle who whoa Is n a conductor on the Lake Shore Southern railway said saide We e are or of the classes have hao to do In the practical operation t th moet Important branch ot of the railway service and that is the train department Re He told wn essary to urge him to the trials ind nd responsibilities the bad or of death with us step by step ster stepin I In our daily dUy battle battlo for bread In our profession because every laboring man in the tho land knew the presidents keen and s sympathy with tho honest worker Mr the that no taint of or poUt tc leal l cOloring existed In an any degree among the member membeni of the delegation but the they take lake a keen interest In all matters affecting the social economies or of the country countr and the speaker de I I dared with emphasis that railroad em plo es were satisfied that an any legis la t I tIon ilon t to reduce the earning en ca I of oC railroad lines will in the I same with the pros anti and generally satisfactory condi conditions of the railroad I Republican Views Mr r Huntley stated that It hail como come comoto cometo to bo b the attitude ot of the administratIon and of prominent Republicans general j I Ily ly that when u a revision of the tariff Is IR tile the changes hang should be by Its friends ant and not by Its enemies We Wc SUggest sold said Mr r Huntley Huntle that n a course he be followed in railway rate legislation Ho He wound up h by expressing the h pe that t there thelO would be no national legis lation that would interfere or inter interrupt Interrupt rupt the tho prosperous condition ot of the railroads or o of their Roosevelt a assured the del that It was not his purpose or orthe orthe the purpose of those who favored rail rall railroad rood road rate regulation to do anything that might injure the tho railroads ot of the country or to Injure the of the railroads He said it was his pur purT purpose T pose os that all clas pers and ond have per perfectly perfectly fair treatment |