Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 40125-h.htm or 40125-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/40125/40125-h/40125-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/40125/40125-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See http://archive.org/details/railroadproblem00hungrich THE RAILROAD PROBLEM [Illustration: _Courtesy of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway._ An interesting illustration of rail-power development. Notice the evolution of the crude steam engine of 1848 into the giant locomotive of 1913, which in turn is overshadowed by the later arrival--electricity.] [Illustration: _Courtesy of the C. M. & St. P. Railway._ Steam, the giant power, which, by welding our states together with bands of steel, has been a mighty factor in the unifying of the nation.] THE RAILROAD PROBLEM by EDWARD HUNGERFORD Author of "The Modern Railroad," etc. Illustrated Chicago A. C. McClurg & Co. 1917 Copyright A. C. McClurg & Co. 1917 Published April, 1917 W. F. Hall Printing Company, Chicago To An Old Friend, and a Good One SAMUEL O. DUNN Acknowledgment I wish to express my indebtedness to the editors of _Collier's_, _Every Week_, and the _Saturday Evening Post_ for their very gracious permission to use, as portions of this book, parts of my articles which have appeared recently in their publications. To Mr. E. W. McKenna of New York is due a special word of appreciation for his helpfulness in the preparation of this book. E. H. Contents CHAPTER PAGE I The Sick Man of American Business 1 II The Plight of the Railroad 5 III Organized Labor--The Engineer 30 IV Organized Labor--The Conductor 45 V Unorganized Labor--The Man with the Shovel 62 VI Unorganized Labor--The Station Agent 77 VII The Labor Plight of the Railroad 90 VIII The Opportunity of the Railroad 105 IX The Iron Horse and the Gas Buggy 134 X More Railroad Opportunity 158 XI The Railroad and National Defense 181 XII The Necessity of the Railroad 217 XIII Regulation 235 Index 261 Illustrations PAGE Illustration of rail-power development _Frontispiece_ The engineer 34 The knight of the ticket punch 54 The section gang 66 The station agent 82 The Pennsylvania's electric suburban zone 114