The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1912-11-23

cured for him in recent years have
brought him very little real comfort.
was talking the other day with a
locomotive engineer who was 35 years
old and has drawn handsome pay for
ost Of his industrial life. He told me
that his father who had been run
ner on the same road. had saved and
left behind him $4,000. living mean
while a self-respecting life on very
much less wages than his son now gets.
Not only have I been unable to say
anything" said the son TO me. but
spent some OF tho old mans savings"
How They spent 1t.
What did you do with your last in
crease in pay?" I asked.
Well. my wife said that the neigh
bors thought she should have silk
dress. and the girls wanted a piano, and
so it went. in the end I did not find
myself any better off than I was be-
fore"
This means. If it means anything,
that the present position of labor in its
conflict with capital Is deemed to just
| ify the expectation OF continued in
creases in pay without regard to in
dustrial conditions. and assurance which
/ breeds habits of extravaganza which
are harmful 10 the Individual. In 9TH
er words, the increased pay is factor
in creating the high cost OF living
As the conflict is now waged. the
lions share goes to the most powerful
organization. and the weak among the
employees alone suffer. 1t is an indis-
putable fact that some classes of rail-
wav employees are now highly paid,
both actually and relatively, and that
other classes are not on the same basis
in proportion to the value of their
services. This is an inequality in the
same industry which one can under
stand IS intoIerable to a spirited man.
and indeed produces some of the worst
consequences of the present system,
both upon the employer and employee
but chiefly upon the latter
Finally. the present system which
/ required in the beginning a well dis
ciplined and cohesive organization lot
self protection now results sometimes
in sitting the ambition of the indivld-
ual by an assurance of drab uniformity
of treatment 1t IS not necessary 10
press the point. The warmest advo-
Gates OF conservatively managed labor
unions. and I am proud to include my
self in the number. recognize the dan
ger and the risk OF this necessity of the
system
what then Of the future. if the pres
ent conflict continues?
For the management of industry the
conflict has been stimulus to greater
efficiency and the economical invest
ment Of new capital. AS the wages OF
labor Increased. an attempt TO offset
the Increased expense by economy in
operatfon has resulted, and vast sums
have been spent. for example. in re
ducing grades and increasing power
to secure greater unit train loads, but
the limit 10 this kind of economy is IN
sight. if It has not been reached. The
candid fact is that although other
branches Of industry are at this mo-
ment enjoying great prosperity, the
railroads. doing the largest business IN
their history and passing through their
trea suries the largest revenues they
have ever realized, are in a more pre-
carious condition than ever they have
been. such is the burden OF their ex-
3 penses 1t is absolutely necessary te
$ the railroads that some thing shall be
2 done to relieve the present tense sit
uation and enable them to face the fu-
ture with conhdnce. and l believe tha'
the way to accomplish this is to settl'
: the conflict Of labor and capital in tn,
/
7 Other remedies are mere salves on tina
I sore.
For labor also the future Is no
f assured under existing conditions. Al
, ready there have been expressions o
2 discomfort on the part of other classes
! Of the community with what they cal
[ the preferred position of railroad labor
$ The most Industrious and successful
4 farmers and storekeepers in the coun
try along the line seldom make a.
much net money in the year as d
n the railway employees stationed at thos
= towns. and nothing like much a
e those they see going by on the trains
' They are. however a large numerical
I majority OF those who pay freigh
charges, and they now complain
> against the freight rates largely be
cause they think these rates might b
: less IL such relatively high wages wer
e lnot paid to certain classes Of railroa
0 employees. If that class of the commun
S ity speaks it is likely Is be heard i
e the legislatures more sympathettcal
than the railroad arrangements ar
heard. All It lacks at the moment j
s organization and this it can learn fror
5. the successful experience of labor.
d This brings us to the next point.
d Whenever any class of society be
comes so powerful as in the abuse of it
power to affect injuriously the live.
liberty or the pursuit of happiness G
Il or by any other considerable class 0
classes of society. the consequence. un
y der the existing regime, is for govern
= ment to lay the heavy hand Of regu
: lating authority upon 1t. This ma
3 happen sooner or later but it is inevita
/ bic. Eighteen months ago in a publ
= address, reasoning from the same prem
= ises. | ventured to predict that tn
g public press could not escape such leg
: islation; and we find today an act
le congress regulating newspapers on tn
statute books. IT IS not impossible this
'e organized labor may hereafter be face
70 with strong and sustained public cor
troll of its activities. 1t would be til
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