Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-25

4
/ The owners of these properties and the
state whereby the former bound them
selves to perform the duties Of common
carriers for the public, and the latter
/ bound herself to protect them in the
| peaceable performance Of those duties.
| Not one word was said in those char
| tiers giving the owners the right to sus-
pend operation Of the roads to the detrt-
ment of public convenience, or giving
| the employees the same right. So long,
| therefore, as either of those companies
| attempts to perform the duty II as
5umed the State is under obligation to
use extreme force, If necessary, to pro-
| tect it in thus serving the public.
Labor trust" Scored.
Furthermore, In the amended Railroad
Commission law, as embodied in Sec
| lions 1853 and 1854 Of the Code Of Geor-
gia the Railroad Commission is author
| other public service companies under
| It's supervision ITO establish and main
tain such public service and facilities as
may be reasonable and just" Also, ito
order and compel the operation of suf-
nCient and proper passenger service
when in its judgment inefficient or In
| sufficient service Is being rendered the
| public or any community
Again. II has been very aptly said by
| one writing on the status Of the State
| IN relationship to the common carriers:
The power to fix rates and charges
| for transportation is an attribute of Sow
ereignty, because in operating a public
| highway transportation corporation
/ exercises the power Of a sovereign. This
/ power over public highways constructed
| for public use to accommodate public
| travel and secure public convenience is
| matter of public concern and is alb
| solutely essential to government"
| Hence, Il necessarily follows that any
| person or combination Of persons who
| obstructs. lntimidates or otherwise pre-
vents the operation of the common car
| riers strikes a blow at the interests of
| the public and puts his or their will in
| conflict with the mandate Of the SOW
| ereign.
Augusta Strike Rebellion.
There is no escape, therefore, from
| the conclusion that those employees of
| the street car company in Augusta and
Of the Georgia Railroad put themselves
/ n a state Of open rebellion to the laws
| Of Georgia, They ignored the cardinal
| tenet Of republican government, viz. :
| There shall be equal rights to ALL spe-
! cial privileges to none" and arrogated
| to themselves the exercise OF special
] privileges for settling their quarrels with
| their respective arrangements at the eX-
! penSe and serious inconvenience of the
| public. and in a manner which embodied
| defiance Of the law which requires all
| dwellers in the State having differences
| which they can not peaceably adjust
/ TO submit them to the States courts.
Again, their acts in leaving the ser
! vice Of the employing companies, and
| virtually encOura ging the formation
| oi HlOpS 10 Illuminate ana personally
| sault those citizens whom these COM
mon carriers induced to take the places
/ they had vacated, that the carrierS
| might obey the law which created them,
was logically a claim which can be eN-
pressed In these words: This is your
property. hut IL Is my job on it, / ana
my partners the union, will defend our
mutual rights to exclusive ownership
" the position which we hold on your
property. We will determine for YOU
whom You shall hire and whom YOU shall
not hire. and what wages you shall pay.
W nile II Is true that we have not in
vested dollar in this public service
lility and you have invested millions
in II, yet we have vested rights in these
positions rights which we have acquired
by usurpation. and we will hold them.
while defying the laws Of the State and
| subtecting the public to serious incon-
venience and loss, even against you. on
your property chartered to serve the
public we are supreme over YOU s1I-
preme over the public, supreme over
the law. The union label carries more
authority than does your Great Seal
of State
Labor Exaets Tax"
In considering the status of the public
service corporations and their employees,
| there is one factor which can not be
| ignored. This is embodied in the follow
ing words found in the last annual re-
| nort OF the Railroad Commission OF
Georgia:
In 1908, the railroads operating in
Georgia employed in Georgia, S4,sO9 per
sons: In 1912, they employed 1861
The wages paid these 80 .691 EMPLOY
| ees III 1912 exceeded the wages paid the
34,SO9 employees in 1908, SSH, 1O4 90
more than in 1908. This. however, was
| to larger number of employees. The
| individual wage scales show that had
| the number of employees for 1912 been
kept the same as in 1908, they are being
| paid S3,66S, I25. q more than in 1908
in other words. the S4,SOq employ
ees in 1908 received SO, 66S, 725. 81 more in
/ 1912 which is an average increase to
| each railroad employee in Georgia in
annum.
The Commission has taken ten trunk
| line roads in the State. to dit: the
! Southern, the Seaboard the Atlantic
Coast Line. the Louisville and Nash
| Vile, the Georgia, Southern and Florida
the Georgia Railroad the Atlanta and
| West Point, the Atlanta, Birmingham
and Atlantic. the Central of Georgia
and the Western and Atlantic and their
wage accounts show that they paid in
! 1872 to the same number of employees
as in 1905. in wages. $2,6O4794.90 more
4 than in 1905
| The individual wage scale further
| shows that by far the largest increase in
/ wages has been paid to employees be-
| longing to labor unions such as engf-
| neers' hremen, conductors, train hands,
etc
! In other words while the average in
/ crease to each of the 34,S09 employees in
/ the average increase to each member Of
a labor union was larger by far, in some
instances, doubtless approximating $500
or more.
| Holds Unions Menace.
| Hence, we are brought race to face
| with the fact that these unions, or COM
] bnations of employees. not only on pub
lie service corporations but, as is gen.
/ orally known. on practically all other
| corporations have forced their wages up
above those received by workmen In an
| other departments of life who have not
| formed these aggressively militant COM
| binations Tens Of thousands of other
/ citizens who are not in these unions
/ therefore, are confronted by the fact
/ that the unions are levying a tax upon
| them 10 the extent that they are forcing
/ from the employers an inequitable pro-
I portion Of the wages paid to thu general
! classes in the State.
| II the State not only authorizes these
unions, or combinations. to exact higher
wages than others receive, but also per
/ mlts them by authority Of law or ny
winking at their violations of it to hold
I up the general public and rob il of the
facilities for transportation, then she can