Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-12
WAGE DISPUTE
Of RAILROADS
PUZZLESB0lRD
Both Employees and Roads Have
Strong Cases-Labor's Dis ,
content Psychological.
BY BoERsIANER.


CHICAGO Oct. 11.-Mernbar, .,
the Federal Arbitration BOARD do ~,
feel like Daniel come to iudvrs..
The more witnesses they examine -.
more testimony they hear, the ro,.
confused and undecided they beoon T,'
Both the Eastern railways and -.
railway employees present good c.s.a
The former snow that to gram ~.
Increase in wages demanded uoris
heighten operating cost BY as mn
GOO yearly, an added expense Ub,L
only an exceptionally afiuent svsts.
like the Reading or the Lackswsnr,'
can AFFORD. To add 81 per cent !.
the pay roll might invite a rec.iv..
for some of the roads.
The other side is just as convinc+n,
The report OF the Department az -
Dor at Was dington has come In So7I
stead to the wage petitioners ~,
statistical document proves tn,
wages as a whole, including rallwss
salaries, have risen only 90 Der esr.
rs fast as the rise in the cost Of lir'
Ing
Going from the general to IN. sn..
Cihc, railroad workers point ont that
while admittedly the material BssS
by the roads IS dearer and the Inter.
state Commerce Commission is ,
plague to the roads and to their en-.
ployees alike, the carriers have hes,
able from year to year to move mora
traffic at less cost; did it before IN
Brandels came conspicuously on N,
scene with his impertinent scheme o,
saving $500, 100000 annually.
More and Better Work.
Twenty years ago the averaE,
trainload was, rudely, 10 tons. AMI
the average revenue per freight train
mile was $l52 To-day 1t is AS and
$3.05, respectively. Engines, cars ami
trainmen are doing much more and
much better work
On their side the companies hav.
what attorneys term telling evl.
dence." Fortuitously in their behalf
Is the appointment as special Gov.
eminent counsel of Mr. Brandeis nv
the Interstate Commerce Commission
In the rate case, a selection that dis
closes Enthusiastically where the Com.
mlssiOners stand on this question ~
such capital importance to the roals
Whatever the arbiters may grant
the men, they will not settle the wage
problem permanently for higher nav
the matter of money-will not ailV
a universal and deep-seated d!ssat!s.
faction.
A month ago, in this column th
suggestion was ventured that to maxs
farm life attractive something m31
was wanted than labor saving ma.
chinery and shorter hours. Man q
gregarious- He wants to be with biz
kind, likes to see something going on.
City Man Graves Equality.
The city abitant-he who has
been born and bred in an urban en-
vironment-has his great longing y
grievance. In the early seventies Max
Nordau thought he had made the dis.
coYery that the Paris workman WIS
willing to work for a small wage, stiH
his meal and live in serried quarters
that he might have the engaging pam
Drama of Paris life near by, Nori5l
since has found that his observation
applies only to the artisan from the
provinces, from the rural district.
The laborer born to city sights de-
mands more. He has craving t1r
equality. Automobiles. thesrar5
gorgeous cafes-the spectacles Of o.
ulenCe-arouse in him the subCon-
sclous desire to have things that rs
symbolic Of superiority and success
Not that the articles and signs u
luxury are irresistible TO him, but
they represent in the worldly est
mate something above himself H
naturally would have them IN order -
be on tha same footing with the pos
SCISSOR.
Problem Is Psychological.
In America, where equality Is The
theatrical slogan, the yearning 10
have what the other fellow has IS less
latent than anywhere, excepting pos
sibly in Paris. In France IL has be-
come sufficiently pronounced to haya
elected two Socialists to the premier
ship in the last decade.
Higher wages-more MONEYS
means to the purpose (barelv semi
conscious with most workers as yeJ
OF being as good, in a worldly sense
as your more prosperous Fellow
citizen.
1t is a psychological problem, ths
psychology Of which is Just beginning
TO dawn on economists