OCR Text |
Show Unjust Railroad Legislation. The hostility that has been worked up against railroads in this country seems to have reached an acute stage.. Many States are passing laws compelling railroads to reduce their fares from threo to two cents. This is just when prices all over the north and west have, within five years past, beon advanced on all products of factory and soil quite 30 per cent; just when, too, a great majority of tho roads all that aro prosperous pros-perous have increased tho wages of their employees em-ployees from 10 to over 20 per cent. It is not a fair deal. The cry against railroads has not been for a reduction of fares, but for such reforms as will cause discriminations against people and communities to cense. Just now nearly all the great linos aro seeking to borrow vast sums to add needed facilities to their roads to meot increasing business, and give people tho needed accommodations. Salt Lake City was in tho throes of a coal famine for weeks. Except that tho weather softened almost to spring warmth, tho suffering here would have been acute. It was because the roads could not get locomotives and cars ordered almost a year ago. This is not a good time to throw unjust obstacles ob-stacles in tho way of tho roads, and that certain Legislatures aro doing it awakens a shrewd suspicion sus-picion that it is because a law of Congress has shut off giving free passes. |