The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-02
THE RAILROAD STRIKE.


unfortunate members of the shop EN-,
ployeeS of the Hartman service who
have been over persuaded TO 20 into n
strike in which nothing substantial to
their benefit can appear; in their strik-
ing for mere sentiment, for an idea
which is. in fact, impossible Of rcaliza-
tion. The management Of great trans
portation system like the Harri'
man lines cannot possibly turn
over TO any outside concern the
furnishing OF its employees The
liberty Of choice must rest with
those who have invested their money;
who arc paving the wages, and who are
responsible to the stockholders for the
efficiency and profitable management
of the immense property. To have the
employees furnished independently by
any outside agency whatever. without
any regard to the faithfulness OF those
employees to those who pay them, is
something so out of line with all busi-
ness principles, that the idea put into
practical effect must necessarily fail.
On the one. hand is tremendous
property in which millions of dollars arc
invested; on the other is an organiza-
lion beneficial in intent, and beneficial
usually in operation, but which has no
financial interest in the property, save
only in the wages that its members Will
draw, and in the pensions provided by
the company for long and faithful serV-
ice And this brings us 10 another
point Of disadvantage TO the employees
i'm this strike. which is, that large mum.
bcrs of them have been fixed IN pen.
status, bencficiarics of the
pension system of the Hartman roads.
All of these who 90 out on the strike
Will by their act, forfeit The pension
status which they have acquired, and
Will bc not only losers Of their positions,
but they Will lose lhe advantage of the
long and faithful service which they
have rendered by their act of repudiaL-
ing the control Of the management in
its employment Of men, These en-
ployees are double sufferers on account
of the strike. o
We cannot but regret the calling of
this strike The unwisdom Of it ought
TO be apparent 10 every one of sound
while the cruelty of it as
applied to those who have their stake
in the prosperity Of the road through
the pension system is so severe as to
cause a shock of sympathy to permeatc
the heart,
In all this unbeneficial activity the
general public which is so be the chief
sufferer in this strike. as it always is
in every great strike, is lost sight of
altogether by those who arc bent on
having their own way regardless of con
sequences. The public pays for all, 1T
affords the railroad It's revenue from
which the employees arc paid; and in
the strike the public is the severcst
loser. In all of these prcclpitated prop
ositions there is one factor which never
receives recognition. and that Is the
public. The employees stale their
grievances and make their threats; the
employers make such reply AS they can,
Welding if they can or must; and the
contention is finally settled between
the two, often after grievous loss. But
there should appear in all of these
a third party, the party IN
greatest interest of all This is the
public But the public has no repre-
seutatlon in either the mancuycrs or
the strikes: and we think it is high time
that the law provided for the repre-
sentatIon of the public in all of these
and stritcs. The reprcsen-
tatve or representatives of the public
should be somewhat in the nature of
referee as between the employers and
the employed; and the law should invest
him Cor them) with status aud dig
nifty that should call for the respect of
both of the warrIng factions. Until
of that kind is done the pub
lie will suffer without representation,
and without even the statement of It's
ease TO modify the extremes of the con-
tending parties. This lack Of represen
tation of the public which is the most
vital interest of all in all of these
has come to be publicly rec
ogniZcd, and a demand is arising from
ali parts of the country that the strik
crs and strikes shall not he allowed to
have the sole say in the matters at
issue, but that the law shall provide a
public med diaton in behalf of the whole
which will be empowered to
take drastic measures in case of unrea
sonable and vindictive action on the
part of the employers or Of the en-
ploycd, That is tho contribution which
VIC make TO this general subject; and
we think that the public interest, being
so overwhelming. must eventually be
as the controlling interest
in all these contentious
THE ISSUE NEXT YEAR.
Sneaker Champ Clark discussino the