Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-10
PUBLIC To PAY #
TRAINMEN WIN
NAGEFIGHT
"Are You, Not Railroads, Willing
to Grant Increase?" Is Cues
ton, Forbes Declares.
BY B. C. FORBES.


ers have voted to strike, demoraIiz-
ing traffic over the eastern half of
the country, unless demands for
wage increases are granted. First
the engineers, then the firemen, and
now the trainmen have taken this
course of action.
Where are strike threats to end?
Arbitrators found the engineers
and the firemen entitled to better
pay. The railroads were willing to
grant concessions in these cases,
but they declare the trainmen have
no grounds for insisting upon an
other advance, seeing that their
wages were raised in 1910. Yet,
there is a feeling in railroad circles
that arbitrators will seek the usual
line of least resistance and effect
compromise.
Railroad managers are asking: "lf
employees know that every time they
threaten to starve the people they
will be granted higher wages, why
should they not go on making fresh
demands7 They can not lose any
thing by repeating the performance
of putting a pistol to the heads of
the railroads and the pubIic-and they
have learned by experience that they
are tolerably certain to gain some
thing when arbitration is agreed
upon"
That arbitration will be adopted
this time is a foregone conclusion.
The customary result will likely fol-
Iow-substantiaI concessions. entail
ing heavier burdens upon the public.
Now, the point raised by the rail-
roads is important. Where are the
demands of railroad employees to
end? WHY should they end7
Human nature is human nature, and
if the men know that by asking a lot
they can depend upon receiving
something, well, the temptation to
ask is apt to prove irresistible. It is
easier to preach than to practice self
denial. Are we not all striving to
ohtain the most we can for our
labcrs? The railroads are at this
moment trying to secure better rates
for carry freight, are they not7
Experience may have justified the
pessin1istio attitude the railroads are
taking toward arbitration. But will
,rbiA.,4nr- Al WANC 5000 1900.
sions regardless Of circumstances, re-
gardIess of the merits or dement's of
the mems demands2
do not pretend to have a laby-
rinth of pigeon holes, each containing
a ready made solution for some COM
picated problem. Some writer's can
solve every difficulty in less than a
column. They know just what should
be done under every circumstance.
don't. And this problem of adjust
ing demands of highly organized
workers, especially railroad workers,
is one of battling. unusual difficulty.
Federal and State Arbitration
commission that arbitrated the rail-
way engineers dispute, have much
to commend them IN the case of pub
lie and asi-public service workers
upon the uninterrupted continuance
of whose Iabors the people at large
are dependent for the necessities of
life.
But it seems to me that the great
est need of all is that the public
you. your next door neighbor, and
all the rest of US should become
thoroughly acquainted with what
higher and still higher wages mean
TO US. The railroads will not ay
whatever increase in wages the
trainmen may be granted. you
and will pay. The railroads have
not one dollar that you and | did
source of revenue-the public.
not, "shouId the railroads raise
waqes?" but "Shoud WE pay rail
way workers higher wages?" For
WE foot the bill.
If we conclude, after learning all
about the rates of pay these men
receive IndI IHSy are SSIElnq loss
than we earn ourselves, that we
ought to contribute moro to their
weekly envelopes, that they cannot
live as comfortably as the average
workers of similar skill, then let US
make our decision known. Once it
is clearly realized that the public, not
souIless corporations, must meet the
bill, must give up out of their
pockets every additional dollar paid
over to these workers, then public
sentiment will govern rates of wages
and govern them equitaby.