Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-02-26
FOR INDUSTRIAL PEACE.

IllStll6i oioPusSo AZ PASoHNot
he mind of President Roosevelt
when he wrote letter to the inter-
State commerce commission which
vas made public. He says that in.
formation has reached him, that on
account of the enactment Of drastic
avs by Congress and by various
State Legislatures, it is regarded az
necessary by railroad companies 10
reduce the pay Of their employees. He
points ont that, under the law, eth.
sr party may demand the services OF
The chairman of the Interstate COM
neroe committee, and Of the Com.
missioner of Labor, as q board OF
.onciiation. He suggests, therefore,
that the Interstate commerce coni-
mission wage conditions on various
railroads as may relate, directly o
Indirectly to the possible impending
controversy.
Tho Presidents Letter.
The full text of the Presidents
letter is as follows:
"The White House,
Washington, Feb. Is, 1908.
To the Interstate commerce COM
mission: am informed that a num-
Der Of railroad companies have ser.
we'd notice Of proposed reduction Of
wages on their employees. One OF
them, the Louisville & Nashville, in
announcing the reduction, states that
:sthe drastic laws inimical to the in
ter.sts Of the railroads that have in
the past year or two been enacted
by Congress and the State Legisla-
tures," are largely or chiefly respon-
sible for the conditions requiring re-
duction.
Under such circumstances it is pos
sible that the public may soon DO
confronted by serious industrial dis.
putes, and the law provides that in
such cases either party may demand
the services of your chairman and OF
the Commissioner Of Labor as a
board Of mediation and coneiliation.
These reductions in wages may be
warranted, or they may not. AS to
this the public, which is a vitally in.
terested party, can form no Judgment
without a more complete knowledge
Of the essential facts and real mer-
/ its of the case than it now has OK
than it can possibly obtain from tho
special pleadings certain to be put
forth by each side in case their dis.
pute should bring about serious in
terruption to traffic. If the reduc
tion in wages is due to natural caus.
es, the loss Of business being such
that ,'e burden should be and is
equitaDly distributed between capi-
talist. and wage workers, the public
should know it. If it is caused By
the public and Congress
should know it, and if it is caused
by misconduct in the past financial
Or other operations Of any railroad,
then everybody should know it, es-
peeially if the excuse Of unfriendly
| Legislation is advanced as method
Of covering up past business miscon-
duct by the railroad managers, or as
justification for failure to treat fairly
The wage earning employees of the
company.
Moreover, an industrial conflict be-
tween a failroad corporation asd itl
employees offers peculiar opportuni-
tties to any small number of evil
disposed persons to destroy life and
property and foment public disord.
er. Of course, if life, property and
public order arc endangered, prompt
and drastic measures for. their pro-
lection become the first plain duty
| All other issues then become subor-
dinate to the preservation Of the pub.
lie peace, and the real merits of the
original controversy are necessarily
lost from view. This vital considera,
lion should be ever kept in mind by
all law-abiding and far-sighted mem
5ers of labor organizations.
1t is sincerely to be hoped, there
fore, that any wage controversy that
may arise between the railroads and
their employees may find q peaceful
solution through the methods of con-
ciliation and arbitration already pro
vided by Congress, which have prov.
en- so effective during the past year
To this end the commission should
be in q position to have available fol
any board of conciliation or arbitra.
ton relevant data pertaining to sucl,
carriers as may become involved in
industrial disputes. Should concila-
ton fail to effect a settlement and ar,
bitration be rejected, accurate infor-
nation should be available in order
to develop properly informed pub
&c opinion.
I therefore ask you to make such
investigation, both Of your records
and by any other means at your com.
mand as will enable you to furnish
data concerning such conditions OBJ
tanning on tht Louisville & Nashville
and any other roads, as may relate.
directly or indirectly to the real mer-
its of the possibly impending contro-
versy.