The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-20
Asks Commerce Com
 misSionto Investigate.
SERIOUS INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES
Between Railroads and Their
 Thousands of Employees.
In His Letter to Cemmisslsn, the Pres- ident Says, These Reducsisns May De Warranted sad May
 Net, Also.

Washington. Feb. 19.--Serious indus trial disputes in prospect were In tho mind of President Roosevelt when he wrote letter to the Interstate Com merce Commission. which was made public tode..
 He says that information has rsach- ed him that on account of the enact-~ ment Of drastic laws by the Congress and by the various State Legislatures. 1t ia regarded as necessary by railroad lcompanies to reduce tho pay of eul- pioyes. He points out that under the law. either party may demand the ser- vices of the chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission and of the Com miasioner of Labor as a board of con- ciliation. He suggests, therefore, that the Interstate Commerce Commission make such an investigation as will en- able it to furnish data concerning wage conditions on various railroads as max relate, directiys or indirectly. to tho possibiy impending controversy.
 The full text of the President's let
 February IS. 1908. To the Interstate Commerce. CommiN
 sion:
 am informed that number Of rall- road companies have served notice Of proposed reduction of wages oz their employees. One of them. the Louisville
  duction, states that ''The drastic laws initntcnI to the interests of the raii roads that have in the past year or two benn &nae1ed by Congress and the State LesB&lAGnres." are largely or chieify fA sponsibie for the conditions requiring the reduction.
 serieus IndmasrfaH K1inpnsea.
 Under such circumsfancae. t Ia pos sihle that the public may soon Dc con fronted by serious industrial disputes. and the law provides that in such csees either party may demand tie services of your ohRirman and the copsnIa slonsr of Labor ss | board of media tisn end ccacilietion. These redisetlopa. itll wages may be warranted. of they may not. As to this the public. which $ vitaIiv interested party can forsn sfn 3ifhMuaank without A more rVfnUsNfe knowledge Of the essentia1 fRftA aud real merits of the case than lt nov hos or than # can possibly obtain from the special pleadinss certain 10 De psst forth by each side in case tliair dls- pute should bring about serious inter- ruption to trafIic. If the reduction in wages is due to natural causes. flle loss of business being such that the burden should be and Is equltably dis tributed between capitalist and wage worker. the public should know it. If it is caused by legisiations the public
  ia caused by misconduct in the pact financial or other operations. by any railroad, then everybody should know 1t, especially if the excuse of unfriend- iy leglsIation is advanced as method of covering up past business niscon- duet by the railroad managers or as Justification for them to treat fairly fhs wage earning employees of the com pany.
 Moreover. an industrial conflict be- tween q railroad corporation and It's employees offers peculiar opportunities to any small, number of eviI-disposed persons to defy laws protesting life and property and foinent public disorder. Of course if life. property and public order are endangered. prompt and drse tic measures for their protection be- come the first plain duty. All ether duties then become subcrdlnate 10 the preservation of public peace and the real merits of the original controversy are necessarily lost from view. This vital consideration should he ever kept In mind by all Iaw-abidlnR and far~ sighted members of labor organixa- tions.
 COneiliatson and Arbitrmtien,
 It Is sincerely to be hoped. tharo- fore, that any wage controversy that may arise between the railroads and their employees, may find a peaceful ao- lution through the methods of concifin tion and arbitration already provided by Congress. which have proven @ ef- fectlve during the past year. To this end, the Commission should be in po- Eition to have available for any board of conciIiation or arbitration relevant data pertaining to such carriers as may become involved in industrial disputes. Should conciliation fail to effect set- and arbitration Do rejected ac- curate information should Dc available in order t0 develop properly informed public opinion
 | therefore ask you to make such in- both of your records and by any means at your command as win enable you to furnish data concerning such conditions obtaining on the Louis. vile and Nashville and any other roads as may relate. directly or indirectly. to the real merits of the possible conflict