The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1911-10-06

From whatever angle viewed, the
attempt o. federated employees to tie
up the commerce along the Harri
man lines, including the / linois
Central and the Yazoo & Mississip-
pi Valley, is unfortunate. The Of
feet of the disarrangement of trade
along this great highway will be
felt in every home in the S ,uth!and,
for, as is always the case in such af-
fairs. it is the innocent third party,
no less than the principals in the
fight, who are the victims OF. these
great industrial clashes.
To the railroad it means enor
nous expense and loss; to the men
empty pocketbooks and depleted
larders. If it .n1ed there it would
be bad enough. But it will 60 far
ther-much farther. Every idle
car On tue sidetrack, every smoke
less locomotive, spells business stag
nation to the merchant. For with
out an adequate outlet commerce
cannot exist. Even the farmer far
back in the hills, will suffer, for
with the stoppage of the wheels of
industry the intricate network of
commerce is d~isarranged, and there
is neither a supply of those things
which he needs from the outside nor
a market for his own goods.
The strike, if prolonged, will be
greatly felt through the central val
ley. Especially is it unfortunate
for Mississippi at this time, just as
the busy season of the year opens
and the State is harvesting its great
cotton crop. Merchants are import
ing stocks Of fall and winter goods,
the hum of business is being heard
everywhere, and we are Just enter
ing on that period when money is
supposed to be plentiful and trade
ia all lines at it's best.
Already there is a congestion Of
freight that is causing anxiety tc
business men. And tho clerks
strike has been on less than a week
What it will be in a few moro days
can only be imagined.
Strikers should we'll consider this
third party" to their controversies
before resorting to the last extremi'
ty of a waikout. The public has
some rights. Business is not to be
tramped under foot at the whim OF
some agitator or wood be dictator.
If it is, the man or men responsible
for it are going TO come in for the
well deserved condemnation of the
people.
The men are asking no increase
in wages, but the recognition of the
newly organized federation, with the
signing up of an agreement abolish
ing methods and certain other abu.
ses or pretended abuses. Tue rail-
roads, on the other hand, declare
that to grant the demands of the
federation practically means a turn
ing over of the company's business
to the union. As Julius Krutt-
schmitt, general director of the Har-
riman lines, pointed out recently
the new contract virtually takes
from the road the right to employ
and discharge its own employees OF
the questioning of any man seeking
employment as to his past record.
In removing an employe from the
service it is necessary to submit The
matter first to a federation board.
This board to be composed of his
fellow-employes. If they decide
that he must 60, he goes; if they
say he shall stick, the company
must retain him in the service. The
right of an employer to hire and fire
such men as he sees fit is entirely
eliminated in the new order OF
things which the labor leaders
would bring about.
Representing nearly a dozen
trades and crafts, the new fedora.
ton, if it could but get what it is
after, would have power that not
even railroads themselves possessed
before the Interstate commerce com
mission was created, and the Nows,
whatever the merit of the controversy
may he. cannot but view with alarm
a situation that threatens 10 pace
III the hands of one man or q small
group of men. however reasonable
they may be. the power to throttle