The Topeka state journal., 1911-10-02
THE HARRTNfAN sTRTKE


THE HARTMAN STRIKE.
Apparently ii1-advised and ill-timed
is the big strike that has been brought
into existence on the railroad lines that
are still known as the Hartman sys-
tenn. 1t may be the torch that will fan
the flame Of a general war between
their employees and the other large
railroad systems OF the country. Such
an occurrence would be ca1amitous
The commerce, the Industries of the
nation would be well-nigh paralyzed,
and at period when they are least
able to stand such a shock.
1t seems that the Hartman shop
employees in the present strike have
no grievances because Of their hours of
labor or their rates of pay. Their diff
ference with the officials Of the Harri-
man system surrounds the refusal of
the latter to recognize or treat with the
new Federation of Shop Employees, a
new union formed of the several sepa-
rate unions in which the various classes
of shop employees are associated. Such
union as this federation would GER
tainly be a powerful weapon in the
hands of the employees of any railroad
system. Under present conditions,
railroad can handle without seriously
Gripping it's service a strike on the
part of any one of the several unions,
whose members are in it's service. But
with all these unions combined int1
one federation and making the cause
or grievance of one of it's units the
grievance of the whole roster of unions,
a situation is presented to a railroad
system that is serious. That is prob
ably why the Hartman officials have
hesitated to grant the recognition de-
manded.
Without discussing the merits of the
reasonableness or unreasonableness of
this demand, it may turn out that Har-
rinIan employees have attempted to bite
off a bigger hunk than they can chew
With crops having approached any but
bumper proportions, and with the gem
eral business conditions throughout the
entire country scarcely approaching
the normal, the freight railroad traffic
in the immediate future is bound to be
lighter than usual. This puts the Har-
riman system in the best possible posi-
ton to meet a strike Not only that
but during the past few months thous-
ands of railroad shopmen have been
laid out of work temporarily. The cost
of living is about as high as it has been
for the past few years, higher in some
essential particulars. The shopmen
who have been out of work for some
time must be feeling a few pinches
They may, as the Hartman officials
suggest. be willing to take the place of
the strikers. And if the unions on the
Hartman system should lose out in
the fight they have undertaken organ
lied labor in the railroad world will
have received & staggering blow.
Undoubtedly, this strike has not
gone far enough as yet to develop into
a strike to the death. Perhaps 1t car
be brought to a sudden and satisfae-
tory ending. Certainly every agency
should be used to bring one about. This
is a duty that the Hartman officials,
the union leaders and everybody else
concerned owe to their own interests
It is also duty they owe to the public.
Strikes that are concerned with better
ing the conditions and wages of work
lngmen to reasonable levels seem to be
essential weapons that labor needs to
protect its interests. Strikes that hinge
on abstract and technical questions
haven't so much to recommend them.