The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1908-02-21
president SEES DANGER
ROOSEVELT ANTICIPATES sERh
Gus INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES.
SUGGESTS AN INVESTIGATION.

nounoes General Reduction Of Wages
and Gives Adverse Legislation az
the Cause.
Washington. Feb. 2O.-Serious indus.
trial disputes in prospect were In the
mind OF President Roosevelt when ho
wrote letter to the interstate com.
msrcs commission, which was made
public. He says that information has
reached him that on account OF the
enactment OF drastic laws by congress
and by the various state legislatures
1t 10 regarded as necessary by rail.
road 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 inter.
state commerce commission and OF the
commissioner OF labor as board OF
Cancellation. He suggests, therefore.
that the interstate commerce commits.
SION make such an Investigation as
will enable 1t to furnish data concern
ing wage conditions on various rail-
roads as may relate, directly or indi'
rectly to the possible impending con-
troversy.
Text Of the Presidents Letter.
ITO the Interstate Commerce Com
mission: am informed that u mum
Der of railroad companies have served
notice of a proposed reduction or
wages on their employees. One OF
them, the Louisville and 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.
Under such circumstances 1t Is pos
sible that the public may soon be con-
frontcd by serious Industrial disputes
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 Cancellation. These re.
auctions III wages may be warranted,
or they may not. AS to this the pub
lie, which is vitality interested party.
can form no judgment without more
complete knowledge Of the essential
facts and real merits of the case than
it now has or than it can possibly OBJ
tain from the special pleadings certain
to be put forth by each side In case
their dispute should bring serious in.
terruptions to traffic. If the reduction
in wages Is due to natural causes, the
loss OF business being such that the
burden should be and Is equitably dis
tributed between capitalist and wage
workers, 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
II the excuse Of untriendly legislation
10 advanced as a method OF covering
up past business misconduct by the
railroad managers, or as justiti-
cation for failure to treat fairly the
wage earning employees Of the COM
pany.
Preservation of Peace First Duty.
Moreover, an industrial conflict be-
tween a railroad corporation and its
employees offers peculiar opportunities
to any small number of evil disposed
persons to defy life and property and
foment public discord. OF course, II
life and property and public order
are endangered, prompt and drastic
measures for their protection becomes
the first plain duty. All other duties
then become subordinate to the pre-
servation of the public peace and the
real merits OF the original controversy
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-
lions.
1T is sincerely to be hoped, there
fore, that any wage controversy that
may arise between the railroads and
their employees may find peaceful
solution through the methods OF con.
citation and arbitration, already pro
vided for by congress, which have
proven so effective during the past
year. 70 this end the commission
should be in position to have avail
able for any board of Cancellation or
arbitration relevant data pertaining to
such carriers as may become involved
in industrial disputes. Should con.
Citation fail to eHect a settlement
and arbitration be rejected, accurate
information should be available in
order to develop a properly informed
public opinion. therefore ask you
to make such investigation both OF
your records and by any means at
your command as will enable you to
furnish data concerning such condi-
tons obtaining on the Louisville and
Nashville and any other roads as may
relate, directly or indirectly, to the
real merits of the possibly impending
controversy.
Ask impeachment Of Whitley.
Washington, Feb. 2O.-A petition
for the impeachment of Judge L. r.