The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-07-09
ANOTHER STRIKE PROBLEM.

The conductors and tralnmeh OH
all the great eastern roads have voted
to strike, failing settlement OF '""f
controversies with their employers
over demands for higher wages ana
other concessions. This action l"l-
lows quite closely the settlement OF me
einilnr controversy with the hfeine"'
II causes no surprise. AS such nctio"
u,aa predicted while the fight Win 'he
Arcmen was on. and the railway mah-
ayers made II clear that this nct'oA
was expected.
In the former case the hreincn OF
Jared arbitration OF tho differences
under tho lIrdman act, which calls
for the appointment OF one represeh-
tatiye nv the employer. ono ny the
employees and a third by the govern
ment. Objection was made To inns
nv the railroads. who held that TINS
was placing the settlement OF Il sre"'
question involving the interests not
ONLY OF tho parties primarily Mt'r-
ested, but Of the general puhhc. W.
tually in the hands of n man. oa
their side they offered arbitration by
a hoard on which employers, employees
and the public at large should each
be represented by several men. rms
was rejected. and the machinery OK
thu E,rdnan act was employed. II a
settlement was reached in which SOME
OF the demands of the men were
granted. some We're rejected, and
Others were granted in modified form.
The present case is similar In most
particulars. The railroads protest
that they are unable to grant the IN
creases Of pay asked for. or amy m
a without increasing their rates.
and they are facing reductions OF
rates rathor than increases. With
demands ON the one hand which tend
10 increase their operating expenses.
and demands on the other which tend
TO cut INTO their receipts h position
of the railroads in these days is not
the mos. enNiable in the world. and
RAILWAY Investments are mo- regarded
as favorably as they were.
The general public mas scant sym
pathy with the railroads. The pub
lie be damned" policy sc bluntly an
nounced by Vanderbilt. and followed
by so many of his competitors. is
partly responsible for the feeling that
II IL proper for anyone To get all he
can from a railroad. n then ask for
more. But there Is a wv n a
better attitude on the part of most
railway arrangements. Inc this fact
should be recognized. Further. the
case is not one for prejudice and pas
sion. hut for the exercise OF hard
sense sober business Judgment.
Railroads are necessary 10 the trans
action Of the business OF the country,
We not only need the roads We have,
hut we need extensions here and
there. And We need imperativeiy
that all roads. new md old. shall be
maintained IN condition to give good
service. Roadbeds must be- improved
ties must be replaced. old steel mus,
be discarded and new and heavy rails
DO laid In place Of the old. Old
equipment must be scrapped and
newer and faster and heavier engines
must be built mi better passenger
coaches and freight cars must be pro
vided. All these things cannot be
pulled down ont Of the air or picked
U Of an empty hat. as a conjure,
produces rabbits. They cos money
lots Of II. and there Is Just one source
fro. mwhtch that money can come
namely. out Of the surplus earnings
OF the roads after the necessary opsr-
atins expenses OF other sorts lave
been paid. II make no difference
whether the transa ctions are for spo,
cash or are financed by h issuance
Of bonds. II tho bond plan Is followed
the funds for the retirement Of the
bonds must come out Of the earnings
II no surplus is possible there Will be
no sale for bonds. and no money with
which to provide extensions and bet,
termentA There was never a time
when there was So badly needed a!
now a thoroushsoing system Of in.
vestiGatinS what the real facts OF IN,
railway business are. Without tina
both the general puelic and the mey
who are chosen TO arbitrate dispute:
are working in the dark. and guess,
Ing hlindly az what concerns some
Of the mos, vital elements OF OF,
business life.