The Colorado statesman., 1908-02-22
PRESIDENT ON
RAILROAD PAY
LETTER TO INTERSTATE COM
MERGE COMMISSION ON
CUTTING OF WAGES.
WANTS INVESTIGATION
PUBLIC ENTITLED TO KNOW If
REDUCTION IN WAGES is
WARRANTED.

Washington.-Seri industrial dis
putes in prospect were in the mind OF
President Roosevelt when he wrote a
letter to the interstate commerce COM
mission Tuesday, which was made pub
lie Wednesday.
He says that information has
reached him that on account of the en-
actment of drastic laws by the Con-
gress and by the various State Legts-
latures, it is regarded as necessary 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 COM
merce commission and of the commits
sioner of labor as board of concilia-
! ton.
He suggests, therefore, that the in
| terstate commerce commission make
such an investigation as will enable
it to furnish data concerning wage
conditions on various railroads that
may relate directly or indirectly to
the possibly impending controversy.
The text of the Presidents letter fol-
lows:
ITO the Interstate Commerce Com
mission:
Il am informed that a number OF
railroad companies have served no
tice of a proposed reduction of wages
on their employees. One of them, the
Louisville e Nashville. in announcing
the reduction, states that the drastic
laws inimical to the interests of the
railroads that have in the past year
or two been enacted by Congress and
the State Legislatures are largely or
chiefly responsible for the conditions
requiring the reduction
"Uader such circumstances it is
possible that the public may soon be
confronted by serious industrial dis
putes, and the law provides that in
such case either party may demand
the services of your chairman and OF
the commissioner of labor as board
of mediation and conciliation.
"These reductions in wages may be
warranted or they may not. AS to
this, the public, which is vitally in
terested party, can form no judgment
without a more complete knowledge
of the essential facts and real merits
of the case than it now has or than
it can possibly obtain from the special
| pleadingS certain to be put forth by
each side in case the 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, equitably distributed between
capitalist and wage worker, 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, especially if the excuse of un-
friendly Legislation is advanced by the
railroad managers, or as a justification
for failure to treat fairly the wage
earning employees of the company
Moreover, an industrial conflict be-
| tween railroad corporation and its
employees offers peculiar opportunities
to any small number of evil disposed
persons to destroy life and property
and foment public disorder.
"Of course, if life, property and pub
lie order are endangered, prompt and
drastic measures for their protection
becomes the first plain duty. All other
duties then become subordinate to the
preservation of the 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 or
CARNATIONS.
"It is sincerely to be hoped, there
fore, that any wage controversy that
may rise between the railroads and
their employees may find a peaceful So
luton through the methods of con-
ciliation and arbitration already pro-
vided for by Congress, which have
proven so effective during the past
year.
''To this end the commission should
be in a position to have available for
any board of conciliation or arbitra-
tion relevant data pertaining to such
carriers as may become involved in
industrial disputes
SHOULD cancellations fail to effect a
settlement and arbitration be rejected
accurate information should be avail
able in order to develop a properly
informed public opinion.
Il therefore ask you to make such
Investigations, both of your records
and by any means at your command,
as will enable you to furnish data
concerning such conditions obtaining
on the Louisville e Nashville. and
any other roads as may relate, directly
or indirectly. to the real merits of
possibly impending controversy.