Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 240, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 October 1917 — Railroads’ Handling of War Work Shows What Can Be Done by “Team Work” [ARTICLE]

Railroads’ Handling of War Work Shows What Can Be Done by “Team Work”

By R. H. Aishton,

President of Chicago & North Western Railroad

Every railroad man in the United States, from section man up to president, owes it to himself and his country to do everything in his power to help win the war. At a meeting in Washington immediately after the declaration of war with Germany, the heads of the railways agreed voluntarily and unanimously to subordinate every other interest to helping to win the war. The railroads made this pledge to the government and the public and they have kept it, regardless of the individual interest of any road. The English railroads are being operated on a similar plan, but under a guaranty by the government of the same net earnings that they made before the war. Our government was not asked for and has not given to the railways any guaranty of net. earnings. The railroads did not get the advance in rates which they felt was absolutely necessary in order to render the service required by the government and the public. Did the railroads sulk and grumble as a consequence?. On the contrary, they redoubled their efforts to discharge the enormous responsibilities forced upon them by war conditions. Sacrificing individual interests, I believe the railroads have given the greatest exhibition of “team work” the world ever saw. It is almost impossible to realize what an enormous task the railroads are wrestling with. The combined freight traffic of fourteen of the largest countries in the world in the year 1915 is just about equal to the increase alone in the freight traffic of our railroads in this calendar y ear —if the present rate is maintained —over that of the year 1915. Even more remarkable is the fact that this gigantic volume of traffic is being transported with practically no more equipment than otir railroads had at the beginning of the war, because the builders cannot furnish the equipment which was ordered, owing to the demands of the government for the materials which would go into cars and locomotives. From the great 'majority of shippers and receivers of freight the railroads have received hearty co-operation, in the more prompt leading and unloading of cars, tod more i intensive loading, and I believe that when the war is won the railroads and their officers tod employees will be given the credit they deserye by the nation.