Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-02-28
PRESIDENT IN EFFORT
TO PREVENT TROUBLE
Roosevelt Would Forestali Wage
Difficulty Between Road
and Men.
LETTER is MADE PUBLIC
Interstate Commerce Commission is
Urged to Get Possession of All
Possible information as to
Railroad Labor Conditions.

Washington, Feb. 22.-Serious in
dustrial disputes in prospect were in
the mind of President Roosevelt when
he wrote a letter to the Interstate
Commerce commission yesterday. He
says that information has reached
him that account of the enactment
of drastic avs by the congress and
by the various state legislature, ii is
regarded as necessary by railroad COM
panies 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 COM
missioner Of labor as a board of con-
Citation.
He suggests, therefore, tina the In
terstate commission make
such an investigation as will enable
ii to furnish data concerning wage
conditions on various railroads as may
relate, directly or indirectly, to the
possible impending controversy.
Text of Letter.
The full text Of the presidents let
ter follows:
The White House, Washington, D.
c., Feb. Is, 1908.-To the Interstate
Commerce commission: / am informed
that a number of railroad companies
have served notice of d proposed re-
duction of wages on their employees.
One OF them, the Louisville &
Nashville, in announcing the reduc-
ton, states hat the drastic laws inim-
1cal 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 re-
sponsible for the conditions requiring
the reduction.
"I'pdpr SI1Cb circIroc CT ;+ Sc Ds
sible that the public may soon be con-
fronted by serious industrial disputes
n the law provides THAI 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 in wages may be warranted,
or they may not. AS to this, the pub
lie, which is a vitality interested party,
can form no judgment without q more
complete knowledge of the essential
Facts and real merits of the case than
Il now has, or han ii can possibly OBJ
tam from the special pleadings certain
to be put forth by each side in case
their dispute should bring serious in
corruption to traffic. If the reduction
In age is due to natural causes, the
loss Of business being 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 mis-
conduct in the past financial or other
operations of any railroad. then ey-
erybody should know it, especially if
the excuse of unfriendly legislation is
advanced as a method of COVERING. nm
past business misconduct by the rail-
road managers or as a justification for
failure TO treat fairly the wage earning
employees Of the
dltlonS obtaining on the Louisville &
Moreover, an industrial conflict between
a railroad corporation and it's employees
offers peculiar opportunities to any small
number Of evil disposed persons to en-
danger life and property and foment pub
lie discord. OF course if life and prop-
erty and public order are endangered,
prompt and drastic measures for their
protection become 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 lawabiding and far
sighted members Of labor organizations.
1t 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 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 Cancellation or arbitration
relevant data pertaining to such carriers
as many become involved in industrial
disputes. Should Cancellation fail to effect
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 in
v~estigat.on. both of your records and by
means at your command, as will enable
you TO furnish data concerning such con-
ditions obtaining on the Louisville and
Nashville and any other roads as many
relate. directly or indirectly, to the real
merits of a possibly impending contro-
verSy. Theodore Roosevelt.
There is good reason to believe tina
as a result Of the presidents order the
affairs of certain railroads will be made
the subject OF extensive inquiry, such in
quiry to cover the question of stock ma
nipulating as well as transportati ton and
rates.