The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-20
TIMELY WARNING.
President ROOseyelt's Letter to
the Commerce Commission
Urges Preparation for Possible
Industrial Disturbances.
TURN ON THE LIGHT.
Be Prepared to Show the Public
Who Is at Fault,
He Says, in Case Arbitration
Shall Not Be Invoked.

Washington, Feb. 20.-Serious in
dustrial disputes in prospect were in
the mind of President Roosevelt when
he wrote a letter to the Interstate
Commerce commission. The text of
the letter follows:
ITO the Interstate Commerce Com
mission:
81 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 & Nashville, in announc-
ing the reduction, states that the dras-
tic laws inimical to the interests of
the railroad that have in the past year
the state legislatures are largely or
chiefly responsible for the conditions
requiring the reduction.
Under 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 a
board of mediation and Cancellation.
These reductions in wages may be
warranted or they may not. AS to
this, the public, which is vitality in
terested party, can form no judg-
ment without more complete know
ledge of the essential facts and real
merits of the case than 1t now has or
than it can possibly obtain from the
special pleadings certain to be put
forth by each side in case their dis
putes should bring about serious in
terruption 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, and espec-
tally if the excuse of unfriendly legis-
lation is advanced as a method of
covering up past business misconduct
by the railroad managers. or as JUS
tification for failure to treat fairly the
wage earning employees of the COM
pany.
Moreover, an Industrial conflict be-
tween a 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 public
order are endangered, prompt and
drastic measures for their protection
becomes the first plain duty. All 9TH
err duties then become subordinate to
the preservation of the public peace
controversy are necessarily lost from
view This vital condition 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 arise between the railroads and
their employees may find a 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 To this end the commission
should be in a position to have avail
able for any board of Cancellation or
arbitration relevant data pertain
| ing 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 available In
order to develop properly informed
| public opinion
| ST therefore ask you to make such
| Investigation both of your records
and by means at your command as
will enable you to furnish data con-
corning such conditions obtaining on
| the Louisville and Nashville and any
other roads as may relate, directly or
| indirectly, to the real merits of pos
sible impending controversy.
| (Signed.)
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"