The morning journal-courier., 1908-03-03
Tuesday, March 8. 1908.
sTEMMING THE TIDE.


 sTEMMING THE TIDE.
 The various steps that are being taken to stem the swift tide of adversi- ty at least indicate that the men of the country are as versatile in finding ways of self-protection as they are in creating ways of self-destruction Stim- ulated by a sense of possible. profit. when things are booming they take every conceivable risk. Warned by sad experience that 1t is easier to tear down than to build up, when the dark days come, as now. they move with renewed enthusiasm and enterprise to turn back the untoward tide. It is in this spirit that a Prosperity Con- vention" begins its sessions to-day at the city of Baltimore. The purpose of the convention is to restore confidence by showing favorable business condi- tions in the sections from which the delegates come. This done all that re- mains is for the less courageous man to capitalize his new found temerity.
 Perhaps a more practical method of meeting disturbing situation is that adopted by the New Haven Railroad company as exclusively announced in the news columns of The Morning Journal-Courier yesterday morning, Confronted with loss of business through the impaired confidence of shippers and travellers, the manage ment proposes to meet the emergency by reducing wages along more or less scientific plan. Unlike former re- ductions in the pay of the employees of the company this coming reduction recognizes all who are in receipt in excess of $1,200 year as wage-earn- CTS and employees. The first sacrifice is demanded of the president, who will be the last to profit by the return of good times It is probably true that he will part with less comfort than any of his subordinates by the reduction, and yet 1t is not at all unlikely that according to his scale of life and in- vestment moments of embarrassment will follow. The possession of large income, which, as in this case, is de termined by the character of the ser vice performed and responsibility car ried, as compared with the service and the set limit, does not necessarily mean that periods of depression have no terror for the possessor of it How ever, it must be admitted that the management of the New Haven Rail- road company Is moved by higher sense of sympathy for its employees than it has ever shown before. It un- dertakes to make those who can best afford 1t bear the heaviest brunt of
 
 the necessary saving It is positively denied at the same time that those who may be described as working for a wage which represents little or no hope of surplus will be included in the new order Assumingsh& that the ne cessities of the proposed reduction are as real as the order distinctly inti- mates, the management should be giv en credit for actually possessing the humanity ordinarily denied public ser vice corporations enjoying special monopolstic privileges.
 While the railroad takes this means of protecting itself against adverse conditions, the city of New Haven un- officially and officially is preparing in various ways to relieve worthy dis tress. first by the offer of work upon public Improvements, and second by the careful and wise distribution of philanthropic fund It is not necessary to dwell at length upon the fact that the people of this city are sensitive to the sufferings If their fellows. A very touching illustration of their intuitive generosity and thoughtfulness was giv- en when the news spread of the burn ing of Grace Hospital They at once offered the relief at their disposal and will doubtless do still more to aid in gifts of money. Wren it comes to the official enterprise of Mayor Martin and his enthusiastic aids in the work of re- lief they will have need of their best wisdom. Obviously there is limit even to the ability of the municipality to so meet the adverse current of distress that the comfort to be enjoyed will be the same as was offered before the panic struck the country. In other words, sacrifice is necessary if the greatest amount of good is to be done the greatest number with the money at the citv's command If it would be feasible for the city government to withdraw from it's position, that labor Ter the city is at all times worth the