Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-11
PUBLIC To PAY #
TRAINMEN WIN
WAGEFIGHT
"Are You, Not Railroads, Willing
to Grant Increase?" Is Cues
ton, Forbes Declares.
BY B, C. FORBES.


ers have voted to strike, demoraliz-
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 end7
Arbltrators found tho engineers
and the firemen entitled to better
pay. Tho 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
ilne 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
demands? They can not lose any
thing by repeating the performances
of putting a pistol to the heads Of
the railroads and the pubIie-and they
have learned by experience that they
are tolerahly 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 lot
they can depend upon receiving
something, we'll, the temptation to
ask is apt to prove irresistible. II is
easier to preach than to practice self
denial. Are we not all striving to
obtain the most we can for our
labors? The railroads are at this
moment trying to secure better rates
for carry freight, are they nOt7
Experience may have justified the
pessimistic attitude the railroads are
taking toward arbitration. But will
arbitrators ALWAYS grant conces-
, sions regardless of circumstances, re-
gardIess of the merits or dement's of
the mems demands?
do not pretend to have a laby-
rinth of pigeon holes, each containing
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
Boards, as recommended by the
commission that arbitrated the rail-
way engineers dispute, have much
to commend them IN the case of pub
lie and quasi-public service workers
upon the uninterrupted continuance
of whose labors 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
not contribute. They have only one
source of revenue-the public.
Therefore, the question to ask is
not, "Should the railroads raise
wages?" but "ShouId WE pay rail-
(~ay workers higher wages?" For
WE foot the bill.
If we conclude, after learning all
about the rates of pay these men
receive, that they are getting less
than we earn ourselves, that we
ought to contribute more 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
soulIess corporations, must meet the
bill, must give up out of their
nocLa&e aNyerv additional doIlar paiJ
over to these workers, then public
sentiment will govern rates of wages
and govern them euuitablY.