The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-12
Railroad Employees Cannot Live
on Wages They Are Now
Receiving.
SCHOOL CLEARING HOUSE
Discussion of Suggestion That
Roosevelt Should Undertake
to Save Turkey.
BY PHILLIP EVERETT.

t"ao question: mas proved complete
failure. and the whole country Is once
| moro In a state of unrest, which Will
! probably eliminate in another gem
eral railroad strike before Christmas.
The Conservative papers are trying
to make 1t appear that the railroad
employees are going back on their
word to abide by the decision of the
commission. but 1t appears that nu
such promise was given, and besides
II Ia generally conceded that 1t is alb
solutely impossible for the men to 1.-Two
on the wages they are now receiving,
as the cost OF living has greatly In
| creased of late.
The railroad companies point to the
fact that they arc paying only very
! small dividend to their stockholders,
and that they cannot possibly afford
| to pay higher wages This Is partly
true. The fact Is this, however. that
there is in England an incredibly
large number of railroad directors and
high officials who. though performing
| no duties or services whatever. re-
! ceive big salaries. This is a great
: strain on the companies.
The Liberal government is taking
a very active interest In the situation,
and various rumors are afoat as to
what the governments plans are. The
most sensational of these rumors is
that the government intends to take
advantage of an old railroad act pass
ed considerably more than half CEN
fury ago. providing for the municipal
ownership of all the railroads of the
country. plan that was advocated
by the late Mr.. Gladstone many years
ago.
A clearing house for school children
Is the latest idea of the London County
Councils Education Committee.
The object OF the proposed new in
stitution Is to have local care COM
mittees. all connected with clearing
house. look after graduating children
and place them in suitable occupa-
lions.
At present local committees have
for some time been engaged in this
work. but their efforts have not been
very successful. because there has not
been sufficient cooperation with the
Board of Trade. and the stats OF the
Juvenile labor exchanges have not
been sufficient In quantity or quality.
Schools for post-ofice messenger
boys have been opened at nine post
Offices and in eighteen evening schools.
with attendances OF over 1000.
Another innovation of tho London
school authorities is a lecture course
at public schools in the poorer dis
tricts. addressed to mothers on the
care of Infants. The first class of this
kind is now being attended daily by
nearly 1000 mothers. A sewing school
has been started in connection with
the class. and has become very popu-
lar. 1t Is to be followed by lessons in
cooking and other useful domestic
subjects.
The suggestion made some time ago
in the Washington Herald, that Roose-
welt should undertake to save the OF
toman empire. has created much dis
cussion and much amusement here
Commenting on the suggestion, a lead
ing London paper writes:
The Turk has many admirable
qualities, but he falls through not
thoroughly understanding the great
gospel OF hustle / think 1t was Lord
Palmerston. who said that q race of
men who have no heels on their shoes
would never do great things. This
meant. of course. that the Turk was
rather slipshod in his methods, the t
he did not step out briskly. and that
he was not spry. The Palmerstonian
criticism applies to-day. and yet
think II Mr.. Roosevelt were to intro
ouce t..e policy of the big stick In
Turkey. he might induce its estimable
citizens to walk round with high step
ping action, to take steps to advance
not merely by strides. but by leaps and
bounds. But. of course, In order to
succeed. Mr.. Roosevelt must be given
a free hand, or rather. two very free
hands and feet.
II suppose he would be expected to
fall in with the customs of the country.
Mr.. Roosevelt does not resemble the
Bishop of London In all respects. but
they both believe IN large families and
in Turkey, / understand (though this.
like everything. Is disputed), there are
exceptional opportunities for enlarging
the domestic circle. And then there Is
an element OF fatalism about Turkish
government, and the Turks recognize
that mistakes are apt to be made, nor
Is there any reason In crying over split
milk. This Is alluded to by Sam Weller
in his memorable remark to his honor
able father:
ITS over and can't be helped. and
that's one consolation, as they always
says in Turkey ven dey cuts the wrong
mans head off,
Such free and easy methods mako
the business of a dictator fairly simple.
Again, Mr.. Roosevelt ia not likely
to allow what Is known as the reNgious
difficulty to worry him. and this Is rec
ognized by the writer in the Washing.
ton Herald when he says:
1.-The man who invited a Catholic
and Jew into mis- Cabinet for the ex-
press purpose of giving an object les-
son in religious liberation is surely best
fitted to hold the balance of justice
between Christians and Mohemmedans.
so that is all right. The big stick
would descend upon the just and the
unjust. and would soon settle any old
difference founded upon conflicting tho
| illogical tenets. In regard to all such
matters Mr.. Roosevelt would be as Sc
renely detached as Mr.. Balfour himself.
"One question OF GONE little interest
to the rest of Europe naturally arises.
| Would Mr.. Roosevelt be conto1t to
confne hts operations as dictator to
the confines of the Turkish Empire?
! Only year or two ago. after he had
made triumphant tour throughout the