BAIL WAY MANAGERS AND EMPLOYES. 579 



operation in the United States and 9,949 in Canada ; the estimat- 

 ed gross earnings of which were, in round numbers : United States, 

 $770,684,908 ; Canada, $33,421,767 ; and the net profits : United States, 

 $268,064,496 ; Canada, $7,826,872. The year's freight traffic over 

 those lines was : United States, 390,074,749 tons ; Canada, 13,716,462 ; 

 while the passengers carried a mile were estimated at : United 

 States, 8,778,581,061. In Canada it is not given ; but the total 

 number of passengers carried was 9,984,354, against 334,570,766 in 

 the United States. The business transacted over the lines was han- 

 dled by an estimated force of 1,600,000 employes,* whose combined 

 earnings, while unobtainable with accuracy, must have been enormous. 

 Considering the magnitude of the interests involved not only the 

 value of the property operated, but the vast number of human beings 

 who freely intrust their lives to the railroads and the growing de- 

 mand for increased speed in transportation, it needs little illustration 

 to show that their responsibilities as common carriers are such as make 

 it of paramount importance to their managements to secure and retain 

 the services of the most experienced and reliable citizens obtainable ; 

 thereby obviating, as far as possible, the often fearful consequences of 

 inexperience and negligence, and promoting public confidence by the 

 knowledge that the lives and property of their patrons will not be sub- 

 jected to unnecessary hazard. There are few employments in the 

 country more onerous and exacting, and not any where negligence, in- 

 experience, or absent-mindedness has more fatal consequences than 

 those embraced in the operating departments of railways ; hence the 

 necessity of protecting themselves against the depressing influences 

 to which most men, struggling against present or impending pecuniary 

 difficulties, are susceptible, must be readily apparent. 



In periods of activity such classes of labor are frequently over- 

 tasked, while in times of depressed trade their earnings are generally 

 decreased by actual reduction of wages, or variable employment, to a 

 bare subsistence. Then, when disability or old age overtakes them, 

 few possess reserve earnings from which to draw for the necessaries of 

 life. 



In the report of the English Select Committee on Civil-Service Su- 

 perannuation, it was stated that the dread of poverty had a very inju- 

 rious effect on the minds and health of business-men, artisans, etc. 

 The celebrated Dr. Farr, of England, when consulted upon the advan- 

 tages of remuneration, partly by salaries and partly by provision for 

 old age, thus sums up the evidence and arguments in favor of such an 

 arrangement : 



" In the first place, superannuation is a guarantee of fidelity ; in the 

 second place, it encourages efficient officers ; in the third place, it re- 

 tains good men in the service ; in the fourth place, it induces men 



* Estimate of United States Kailroad Commissioner as to employes in the United 



States. 



