The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-20
ROOSEVELT IN
WRITING MOOD
Lamps of Commerce Commits
sion to Be Kept Trimmed
and Burning.
POSSIBLE LABOR TROUBLES
DATA TO BE GATHERED IN AD-
VANCE.
POSSIBLE LABOR TROUBL ES


trial disputes in prospect were in the
mind of President Roosevelt when he
wrote letter to the interstate com
merce commission yesterday, which was
made public today. He says that infOr-
nation has reached him that on &C
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 Cancellation. He suggests, therefore.
that the interstate commerce commits
sion make such an investigation as will
enable ii 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:
RooseVelt's Letter.
''To the Interstate Commerce Com
mission:
Il am informed that a number of
railroad companies have served notice
of a proposed reduction of wages on
vile & Nashville, in announcing the re-
duction states that the drastic laws in
imical to the interests of the railroads
that have in the past year or two been
enacted by congress and the state leg
islatures' are largely or chiefly respon-
sible for the conditions requiring the
reduction.
Under such circumstances it is pos
sible that the public may soon be con-
frOnted by serious Industrial disputes,
and the law provides that in such case
either party may demand the services
of your chairman and of the commits
sioner of labor as a board of mediation
and Cancellation.
Facts Should Be at Hand.
These reductions in wages may be
warranted or they may not. AS to this,
the public, which is party, can form
no Judgment without a more complete
knowledge of the essential facts and the
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 their dispute
should bring about serious interruption
to traffic. If the reduction in wages is
due to natural causes. the loss of bus-
mess being such that the burden should
be, and is, equitably distributed between
capitalists and wage workers, the pub
lie and congress should know it, and if
IL is caused by misconduct in the past
financial or other operations of any rail-
road, then everybody should know it,
especially if the excuse of unfriendly
legislation is advanced as a method Of
covering up past business misconduct
by the railroad managers. or as a justi-
fication for failure to treat fairly the
wage earning employees of the company.
Opportunity to Do Evil.
Moreover. an industrial conflict be-
tween a railroad corporation and its en-
ployes offers perculiar opportunities to
any small number of evil disposed per-
sons 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 protectionNbe
comes the first plain duty. All other
duties then become subordinate to the
preservation of the public peace, and
the real merits of the original contrO-
versy are necessarily lost from view.
This vital consideration should be ever
kept in mind by all law-abiding and
far-sighted members of labor organ
izatiOns.
Public Entitled to Know.
ct is sincerely to be hoped, therefore,
that any wage controversy that may
arise between the railroads and their
employees may find a peaceful solution
through the methods of Cancellation and
arbitration already provided for by con-
gress, 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 con-
Citation or arbitration relevant data
pertaining to such carriers as may be-
come involved in industrial disputes.
Should cancellations fail to effect
settlement and arbitration be rejected,
accurate information should be avail
able in order to develop a properly in
formed public opinion.
At therefore ask you to make such
investigation, both of your records and
by means at your command, as will en-
able you to furnish data concerning
such conditions obtaining on the Louis
vile &, Nashville and any other roads
as may relate. directly or indirectly, to