The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-20
President Takes Up Wage Con-
 ditiORs On Railroads
REASONS FOR REDUCTIONS
President Asks Interstate Commission To Look Into Affairs With Par ticuar Reference To Louis.
 vile and Nashville.

Washington. February l9.-Serious industrial disputes in prospect were in the mind of President Roosevelt when ne wrote letter to the interstate com merce commission yesterday which was made public today. He says that fn- formation has reached him that on ac- count of the enactment of drastic laws by the Congress and by the various state legislatures it is regarded as nee essary by railroad companies to reduce the pay of employees. He points out that under the law. either party may demand the services of the chairman of the interstate commerce commission and of the commissioner of labor as a board of conciliation. He suggests. therefore, that the interstate, commerce commission make such an investigation as will enable it to furnish data con cerning wage conditions on various railroads as may relate, directly or in directly to the possibly impending con troversy.
 The full text of the Presidents letter follows:
 February IS, 1908. ITO the Interstate Commerce Commis- sion.
 l am informed that a number Of railroad companies have served notice of a proposed reduction of wages of their employees. One of them, the Louisville and Nashville, in announcing the reduction. states that the drastic laws inimicaI to the interests of the railroads that have in the past. year or two been enacted by Congress and the state 1egislatures.' are largely or chifiy responsible for the reduction.
 Industrial Disputes.
 Under such circumstances it is pos sible that the public may be soon con fronted by serious industrial disputes. and the law provides that in such cases either party may demand the services of tn cir chairman and commissioner of labor as board of mediation and con- ciliation. These reductions in wages may be warranted or they may not. As to this, the public, which is a vitally interested party, can form no judgment without a more complete knowledge of the essential facts and real merits of the case than 1t now has or than it can possibly obtain from the special plead . fngs certain to be put forth by each side in case their dispute should bring about serious interruption to traffic. If the reduction in wages is due to natural causes, the loss of business be- ing such that the burden should be and is, equally distributed between cap italist and wageworker, the public cb nf11A icto l lao islation, the public and Congress should know it, and if 1t is caused by miscon- duct in the past fiscal or other opera tions by any railroad, then everybody sh ould know 1t, especially if the ex- cuse of unfriendly Legislation is ad- vanced as a method of covering up past business misconduct by the railroad managers, or as a justification for fail- ure to treat fairly the wageearning em- ployes of the company.
 Defiance of Law.
 Moreover an industrial conflict be- tween a railroad corporation and it's employees offers peculiar opportunities to any small number of evil disposed persons to defy laws protecting life and property and foment public dis order. Of course, if life, property and public order are endangered, prompt
  tion become the first plain duty. All other duties then become subordinate to the preservation of public peace and the real merits of the original con troversy are necessarily lost from view. This vital consideration should be ever kept in mind by all law-abiding and far sighted members of labor organiza- tions.
 Tt is sincerly to be hoped therefore, that any wage controversy that might arise between the railroads and their employees, may find a peaceful soll' ton through the meth ods of concilia- = ton and arbitration already provided by Congress, which have proven so et- fective during the past year. To this end the commission should be in posi- ton to have available for any board Of conciliation or arbitration relevant data pertaining to such carriers as may be- come involved in industrial disputes. should conciliation fail to effect a set tlement and arbitration be rejected. &C., curate information should be available in order to develop properly informed public opinion.
 .'I therefore ask you to make such an investigation. both of your records and by any means at your command as will enable you to furnish data con- corning such conditions obtaining on the Louisville and Nashville. and any other roads as may relate directly or indirectly to the real merits of the pos. sibly impending controversy.
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
 
 Detectives Are Punished.
 New Orleans, February 19-Loss of 30 days pay each was the penalty today i'm