The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-08-20
AMERICAN VIEWS OF STRIKE
ENGLISH RAILROAD HANDS
FEARFtLLi tNDERPATD.

| EEAREt LII tNDERPS1D.
Demand for Mere Means oS lA>iWs. saSs
! James n. kecne ne-ActiOn Premature
, and sympathy EstranGed Disaster
! 10 show men .&croplsnc Excursions.
| ssp,r,o, Cable Despatch 10 ter SrN.
| LoSpoS. Aug. ia.--The direct effect
on their own plans and the indirect effects
which may possibly he experienced later
in the United States from an industrial
point Of view caused the great strike to
be dominating topic Of interest among
Americans in London this week. II Is
the one subject Of talk in the hotel corri-
doris and the smoking rooms.
II il the consensus Of opinion among
prominent Americans. who nevertheless
deplore the strike. that the English workers
are not receiving a living wage. This
opinion is held by such men as jacob h.
Schiff, who has sailed for home on the
Kaiserin Auguste Victoria. while james X.
Keene was most outspoken in discussing
the situation.
| Mr.. Keene said the strike was planned
to protect the workers against two CEN
turies of oppression. inefficienoy and in
justice; it Is the voice Of the workers de-
manding to be paid enough in order to be
properly fed. Just as the veto bill was an
epoch in the constitutional history OF
England" said he. Il believe that the
present strike will he an epoch in her
industrial history. Where it will end
cannot say. 1t is certain that there must
be something radically wrong with the
fiscal system Of a country that permits
such conditions to exist. where married
men with families are expected to live on
IL shillings to fi a week.
SOMETHING WRONG.
1T is not to be thought that the workers
will continue to accept such conditions
A man always likes TO stand by his class
My sympathy is naturally with the classes
but cannot close my eyes to the fact
that fiscally England Is wrong somewhere
and needs reforming. Whether or not
it is in the tariff cannot say.
In the case OF the railway strike 1t
only needs careful study OF the railway
statistics. comparing the capitalization.
running expenses. wages and manage
ment with those Of the railways Of other
countries. to damn thoroughly the case
Of the railways and prove the equity Of
the workers having living wages. Com
pare them With the railroad men OF the
United States and the wages paid there;
the difference Is unbelievable. The en-
gine driver or engineer of England gets
shillings tsl.7 rs, for a day OF nine hours,
while in the United States an engineer
gets IS u day.
There is also a constant upward ten
dency in the United States while in Eng
land there is desire to keep wages sta
tionary. There is no case where the
wage in the United States is not at least
100 per cent. higher than in England for
the same character of work. ] admit
for the sake Of argument that the cost Of
living is higher in the United States. but
surely it will not be contended that it is
100 per cent. higher.
Il may say that the cost Of living iu
the United States ia higher because tho
workmen are better paid and live better.
The American working man has meat
three times a dav while in this country
ii is a luxury. Where it is going to end
it is impossible TO say, but the turmoil
is Symphonic tic Of practical national in
dustriai unrest.
DO not think hat I I'm socialist.
because am not. but it is impossible for
man Of my observation not to see and
to feel the tremendous potentialities of
the situation"
wrs7tRS vttw.
Ansel Oppenhein If ~. Paul. Mimi,
who is a director on The boards OF several
| Western raiwaye. prophesied that tho
, strike would not last long and that the
strikers would lose not. he said. because
their demands are unjust but because
they sta rted in the wrong way.
There is no doubt in my mind that the
men have been treated badly in every way
by their employers" said Mr.. oppenheim
"The conciliation boards have been
| turned against them and those who have
| complained have soon been forced out
ot work. The amount OF wages paid is
ha rily to bc believed. The whole condi-
| tions are intolerabl". hut the n,en should
| have given more notice Of the strike and
acted less precipitatsly. As it is they
have alcnated public sympathy. and so
the strike will be Ineffective. Then in
my opinion a royal commission will I've
appointed ,o s!t immediately and report
. quickly. If the commission he properly
composed it will show mp conditions re-
garding the railroads If England that will
force the managers 10 grant the men =
! demands"
Mr.. Oppenheim and Gecrg" Whelan
left in motor to-day for Liverpool
where they will await the sailing Of the
! LrIsitanis. Mr.. Whelan is investigating
the system ri chain stores in England,
He thinks that there Ia far more develop
ment here than in the United States. He
found one chain Of 0oo stores in England
operated on system, that enabled the
stores 10 sell "a per cent lower than did
the old single store.
TXTESr CT IHr IIHrr,
Here and there. especially in Wales and
the north of England. tho railroads are at
q standstlll. In some parts Of south Eng
land there Is very little actual inconven.
ience but every here else the disloeation
ia of varying degrees Of intensity, though
it cannot be ssid that traffic is para!yzed,
There are signs in many places that the
men desire to oome back to work. but
these instances are more than Coun-
tertalanced elsewhere by men coming out
II ia evident that the action If the leaders