The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1908-02-28
nail EAR To THE PUMP
COMMENT ON PRESIDENT ROOSEVELTS LETTER
ON RAILWAY SITUATION BY TWO PAPERS

the railroad wage question IS from the New York Daily Banker
President Rooseves communication the Interstate Commerce
Commission respecting the question Of reduction by railroads
has commanded widespread attention and receives various inter
lpretaton.
- informed says the President that number of railway
companies have served notice OF proposed reduction of wages Of
their employees One OF them the Louisville Nashville
nouncng the reduction that the drastic laws nica1 the
interests OF the railways that in the past year have been
acted by Congress and the State Legislatures largely chiefly
sponsible conditions requiring Under such
possible that the public may be confronted
hy serious disputes The provides
either party may demand the services Of your chairman and OF the
Commissioner OF Labor, board OF mediation and Cancellation
These reductions wages may they may As
to this the public which vitality interested party form
Judgment without complete knowledge the
and merits Of the than has than possibly
obtain from the special padng certain be put forth by each side
their dispute should bring about interruption traffic
In quarters this regarded unwarranted intrusion
into private affairs only logical consequence OF the
claim that wages be reduced because of oppressive laws
managers declare they reduce wages be
regaye reduced their earning power they invite
precisely President has done It preposterous
who responsible the laws would
ignore the charge that their which have made reductions
wages necessary This the logical basis OF the Presidents
communication He will allow the dominant party be charged
with widespread reduction OF wages
This far saying that the Presidents letter purely for
political Many OF his critics take the view that has other
purpose One OF them very clearly states the follows
not difficult imagine situation possessing the following
(a) APesden OF great force and energy bent upon
nominating eecng of his choice his
O active in such campaign the support and
the army of the railroad employees; (c) period OF
depression which tends enbaras the
Administration and ALLEVIATE the labor because rightly wrong
gets the political advantages Of general
dura prosperity and the political disadvantages OF general
industrial depression. If such situation be presented there
powerful influence the President utilize for hebeuet OF
labor every governmental inrumenaty which he willing
ploy OF his political ambitions If pending such
reduce railroad wages times OF industrial depression
midst Presidential campaign the President with great
political interests stake should direct the Interstate Commerce Com
mission to investigate proprey of such efforts wage reduction
commission would be subject tremendous political temptation
shape its Investigations
s we say this the extreme of the Presidents latest per
fornance We refuse to accept it in all its crdty The letter
stated above inevitable whether Presidential campaign
at the threshold or inevitable the
things handy piece Of political tactics It proves
President srewd the railway managers who would endeavor
make him unpopular by charging the reduction OF TO his
policies
The incident goes show little by little the government
ncroacing fields formerly regarded purely private This
tendency full Of danger and time that sober considered
Regulation Of corporations necessary but pro-
ceding along which the individual the largest
OF freedom Of friction his busiess Ger
tan going far say what railway shall charge for its
service
The railways are certainly losing business Great numbers OF
cars are idle although improvement Earn
ings are diminishing should reduced dividends
well as reduced wages public opinion viii become rrad One
railways proposes put the scale hack to where
in 1907 before the increase took place VIII also put the dividends
hack to the earlier perhaps is already that the
rev scale dividends be maintained II wages put back
to the point which they stood before the increase of last the
cut will appears since commodity prices
coming down living, therefore cheapening
Milton H. Smith President the Louisville < Nashville Rail
commenting upon President Rooeye letter TO the Inter
state Commerce Commission said that his read had already
commission sufficient data showing results OF opera
ton to enable the commission promptly advise the President
the conditions obtaining road which justify reduction the