The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-18
Seth Low and Howard FL
lott in Same View at
Separate Meetings
IS REPRESENTATIVE
OF PUBLIC OPINION
All Think Failure to Allow Increase
Will Give Tremendous Impetus
to Movement for Govern
ment Ownership
by HOLLAND.

by HOLLAND.
New York, December 17.-(Special)- 1T
time that two important organizations
whose memberships represent all parts of
the United States and whose influence is
chiefly moral or persuasive, should have
held annual meetings In this city on the
same day, and that at almost the same
moment two men of such national reputa-
ton as DR.. Seth Low, president of the
National Civic Federation, and Howard
Elliott executive chief of the New Haven
railroad system, should have spoken in
earnest approval of the proposition that
the interstate commerce commission is
now onsidering-namely the request of
the eastern railroads for permission to in
crease their freight charges by per
cent
One of these two addresses was deliv-
cred at an annual dinner at which some
800 representative business men sat down.
and the other at an annual dinner in
which some GOO members of the National
Civic Federation shared
membership covers the entire United
States. Its members are occupied in
manufacturing industries whose products
find the chief markets with the railroads
The national federation is composed of
men who are devoting much time and
thought to the chief economic and social
questions of the day. 1t was the four
teenth annual meeting of the National
Civic Federation and the seventh of the
Railway Business association. The civic
federation had special reasons for ac-
cepting congratulations upon it's work. be-
cause during the year it prepared and Sc
cured the passage of the Newlands law,
which was substituted for the old Erdman
act that created a board of mediation and
arbitration to which railroads and their
trained operating employees could appea.
when differences arose.
Almost Dead Letter
The Erdman act had become almost a
dead letter, for eight years passed be-
fore it was with success appealed to in
a controversy between the Southern Pa
ciHe company and the Brotherhood of Lo-
comotive Firemen and Engineers. So sue
cessful was that appeal to arbitration un-
der the Erdman act that afterward many
were the cases of mediation upon which
1T passed. 1t was found, however, to be
not entirely satisfactory, and last sum-
mer in the controversy between the Or
der of Railway Conductors and Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen on one hand
and the railroads in the so-called eastern
territory on the other, one of the parties
In this controversy announced that it
would be willing to accept mediation un-
der the Erdman law At this point the
National Civic Federation stepped in, with
the result that the statute now known as
the Newlands law was agreed upon, was
speedily passed by Congress, and under 1t
the very important and at one time highly
dangerous controversy between the rail-
roads and the conductors and trainmen
was settled by mediation whereby the EN-
ployes achieved an increase of per cent
in their wages.
An Additional Charge
DIR. Seth Low was chairman of this med
iation board. He had therefore special
opportunity to pass not only upon the i'm
mediate questions involved, but also upon
the effect of an increase of wages de-
manded by railroad employees upon the
already heavily increasing operation of
the railroad companies themselves.
This phase, however, of the controversy
was incidental. 1t could not enter into
the consideration of the board of media
ton, for the sole purpose of the board was
to discover whether or not in view of all
the facts, railway employees were justified
in asking for an increase of wages. DIR.
Low. however, decided apparently that
while he, as one of the board of media
ton, could not touch upon this phase of
the question, nevertheless he, as president
of the National Civic Federation, would
be well within his rights if he did allude
in his annual address to the predicament
In which the American railroads now find
themselves. He did so, and in words
which were almost perfect echo of the
words used at the same moment substan-
TALLY by Howard Elliott in another place
a mile distant from the great banqueting
hall in which DR.. Low was speaking.
Seth Lows Opinion
Seth Low speaks not only as president
of the National Civic federation, but as
an American citizen. A few days before
he was inaugurated as mayor of New
York he disposed of all securities which
represented properties that might in one
way or another be affected by his action
or recommendation while mayor. Pre-
sumaby he sold all his railroad stocks
not an investor to any extent in securities
of this kind. Therefore his judgment is
impartial.
There is therefore a special emphasis in
his clear and almost blunt statement to
the members of the National Civic Fed
GRAFTON that the actual situation of the
railroads in the United States at this
time is in his opiniony so serious that If
the interstate commerce commission de-
clines to permit the eastern railroads to
increase by 5 per cent their freight rates
then very strong impulse will be given
to the agitation for public ownership
and operation of the steam railroads of
the United States.
Curiously enough, this is almost the
precise language employed by President
William c. Brown of the New York Cen
trail in an address given few days ago
to a business organization of Rochester
President Brown, like DIR. Seth Low, Is
now able to speak with impartialitv of