The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1908-08-06
WAGES MUST NOT BE cur.

4 s - :
VICES MUST NOT BE cur.
I Recently in New York Mr.. James j.
Hill gave an interview which should
be highly appreciated BY laboring
men. The entire interview abounds
in good common sense. Mr.. Hill paid
a high tribute to railroad employees
and workingmen generally. Among
other things he said:
In this contingency there is one
step that must be taken if we are to
have return of general prosperity
freight rates must be moderately ad-
vanced. Justice demands that course
and the best interests of the country
at large require it. The alternative,
the reducing of wages, is dangerous
expedient. Workmen need good wages
to live properly. Cutting wages will
not reduce the cost of living. Rail-
road operation requires good men.
And the men who are handling the
shutting railroad trains today are
the class of men upon whom the very
| life OF this nation depends. ~
''If wages were cut there would be q
breaking up of these organizations of
loyal, earnest, dependable men and
many workingmen of sterling value
would be lost. These men have q
right to good wages. Surely it would
be dangerous expedient to step in
and cut wage scales in the face of the
increased cost of living that controls
today. --s---.-..-
"And what of those men and of the
workingmen engaged in all phases of
Industrial activity today? What are
their chances of advancement? Where
do their true interests lie?" was asked.
We'll, to mention another fact
first" said Mr.. Hill, 81 must point
to the attitude which the great body
OF workingmen of this country is as
Stunning today. During my fishing
trip in Canada read, among other
periodicals, many magazines which
are issued by the various classes of
railroad men and their organizations.
l was struck at once with the manner
and the wisdom with which these men
have figured out this vital problem
one of the most vital questions facing
the nation today-in their own way.
Practically every one of these publica-
tons carried editorials pointing out
that in this contingency there should
be cordial, constant cooperation be-
tween the roads and the men, and
| emphasizing, too, that legislators
must cease dangerous and interfering
| tactics if general trouble is to be
| averted. This fact again proves that
in any emergency the workingmen OF
this country as whole can be counted
upon every time, and that their judy
ment never is far from right. Further,
it demonstrates that they think for
themselves and are not led around by
demagogues.
"They have seen for themselves
| apparently, that certain legislation,
both proposed and enacted in some
quarters, is playing with fire. They
see in some quarters there has been
too much readiness to infict legisla-
tion as alleged remedies which it is
beyond the power of the proposed
measure to give. The laws of trade
are as certain in their operation as
is the law of gravltation. You can't
set broken leg by statute, and you
can't change vital, life-giving COM
mercial law by legislative enactment
without inviting serious trouble.
"These statements in question, so
have observed, insist that business
men should be allowed to run their
businesses, ever following just and
proper methods, of course, in bust
ness way. In other words they echo
the demand of Leave us alone for a
time and all will be made right l
see further, by perusal of these same
publications, that the men have gone
| farther and on their own initiative
directed their arguments and their
demands to our lawmakers individ-
ually. That would seem to prove
| that the earnest, Industrious working
man knows where his best interests lie
and that he already has emphatically
expressed his belief in constant
loyalty to his employers.
And that rule of loyalty is the
foundation of individual success.
Never before in the worlds history
were so many opportunities for ad-
vancement held out to the working
man in the ranks. Men who can &C
complish-good men, of energy and
initiative-are in greater demand than
ever before. One of the greatest prob
lens today is the finding of proper
men to place in posts of trust and re-