New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1913-11-15

No worse psychological moment
could have been chosen by the
railway employees OF the South
ern Pacific Railway Company
for "A settlement Of grievances
than the one chosen at present
when railway transportation h'
comes an absolute necessity -"
contemplate the strike III ITS mos
serious aspects IT looms up as
dangerous menace to the agrlrl'i-
tl,ral welfare of this section o.
country. With tariff changes aud
extraordinary bad seasons already
to contend with. the Farmer Is IN
no mood and position to waste
his sympathies on the efforts and
fghts over railway Iaborers. The
scIishness of the struggle becomes
apparent and Extensively bitter
when the interests of the public
are being ruthlessly ignored by
both parties to the controversy.
1t seems that the larger part OF
humanity directly affected by tins
disturbance and agitation should
have been taken into their conf
dence and consideration given to
their exposed interests. The con
tests between the labor tyrant
and the monopolists is merely a
question now of individual ad.
vantage for one or the other, re-
CARELESS of the effect on the de-
velopment and progress OF the
country and its people No STRIKE
can succeed without public sym
patty. In this crisis the allenla-
ton of public sympathy is almost
complete. The danger to the
farmers interests and the hard
ships placed in the way of saving
his crop, something that repre-.
sents his years labor and wages
and on which depend the happi-
ness and contentment Of the 1ar-
mer's family, are subjects that
will play a large part in the set
Element of the disputes between
the railroad employees and the
railroad. We don't think that
neither the labor Unions nor the
railroad interests have a right to
periodically jeopardize the far
mer's prosperity upon which is
built the whole financial and in
dustrial fabric Of this country.
The railroad employee is the best
paid workmen in the universe :
IS per cent Of them, if test
could be made dispassionately
could not earn during the best
days Of their lives 81 per cent
of their monthly remuneration
paid by the railway interests.
The humiliation of a great coun-
try like this is all the bitter aud
more impressive because private
organizations such as railway un-
ions maintained to promote mu-
tual welfare of its members should
have such extraneous powers as
paralyze and demoralize the agri-
cultural and industrial activities
of the people of large part Of
this State without responsibility
and without anybody being able
to compel the unions to render an
account Of their stewardship. As
we understand this combat, it is
not over any vital points affecting
uniOnism, but seems to be in our
opinion about q frivolous and
capricious point involving some
degree of pride of the organiza-
ton of one central union stand
ing for the amalgamated unions of
the different orders of railway
employees. AS long as the price
of labor, in hours of work and
the comfort Of the employee Is
eliminated from the discussion ~
the adjustment of their grievan
ces there is no sane reason why
the employees should not recede
from their position and render a
patriotic service to this country
by allowing uninterrupted trans
portation facilities to facilitate
the saving Of the farmers crops