Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-14
FAMINE AND DEATH IN
TIE-UP OF RAILROADS
Strike of 100000 Tranmen for Even Day Would Result
Destruction of Thousands Infant Lives by Stoppaee of
Trains Carrying Milk Supply.

pean trip in which he had seen pri-
vately owned railroads in only one
country in the world, once suggested
that public ownership would become
necessary, which suggestion he at
once modified because of political ex-
pediency.
Now suddenly the railroad probably
is presented in a manner which offers
a national menace. Suspension of
traffic is threatened, and the indus
trial and physical life and well-being
of the nation depends upon uninter-
rupted traffic.
Refuse to Defer to Law.
There is quarrel between the rail-
over the question of pay. There is a
national law for arbtrating such diff
ferences, but the railroad managers
have refused to arbitrate under the
law as it stands. At the White House
this afternoon the President, with
representatives of both branches of
Congress and of his cabinet. will con-
fer with representatives of the rail-
road managers and of the employees
who threaten to go on strike. The
President will urge that the railroad
managers and employees agree to ar
bitrate under a new law proposed to
be passed at once. If arbitration is
refused by either side, the govern
ment cannot do more. and 900 rail-
road men will probably go on strike,
tying up more than forty railroads in
the eastern part Of the country and
closing the roads to market
AS between the railroad managers
and the employees, the issue is wholly
a selfish one. The employees want
more money. The managers say that
wages are high enough, The employ
ees say they are not getting their pro-
portionate share of increased railroad
earnings, and the reports seem to jus.
tify this claim, at least to some eX-
tent.
Roads Are Prosperous.
The railroads are very prosperoua
Under the government regulation they
opposed ten years ago, they have
made more money than ever before
In 1912 the net operating revenue of
all the big roads of the country was
per cent. larger than in 1911. For
the first ten months of the fiscal year
of 1913 the net revenues, after deduct
ing all operating expenses, were 80
per cent. larger than in the same pc
riod in 1912. For the four months
from January 1 to April 80. 1913. the
increase in net revenues of the rail
roads was II per cent. over the net
revenues of 1912.
Net Earnings $1,000 a Mile.
For the first four months of this
year the average net earnings of all
the railroads in the country wer.
81 ,0S9 for each mile of railroad.
So far as the differences between
the railroad managers and employees
are concerned, it is the policy of
the government to arbitrate if pos
sible. If arbitration is refused by
either side, it cannot be forced. A
strike means great money loss and
suffering, in which the direct loss
to the railroads and employees is
only drop in the bucket to the loss
that will be entailed upon the public
at large.
All of the railroads are public
highways but while the managers
who have a monopoly of the opera
ton of the roads and their en-
ployees are fighting over heir OPP
Grafton the whole country must stop
business, possibly stop eating.
All of these roads are post-roads,
and the government may force them
to be kept open for the carrying of
the mails. 1t may man the mail
trains and guard the lines with
troops to do this. But the govern
ment cannot compel the strikers to
man the passenger and freight
trains. To do so would be to take
sides with the managers. 1t cannot
compel the managers to raise the
wages, and it cannot fairly use
the troops to protect strike breakers
who would take the jobs of the
strikers from them. AT least, it can
not do so without provoking pos
sibly greater trouble than it seeks to
abate.
This is the big problem with which
President Wilson and Congress are
faced. And even though arbitration
may this time succeed, the danger
of a recurrence of such a national
menace is not precluded. Should the
strike come, despite efforts at ar
bitration, there are many men in
Congress. of all parties ready to au-
thorize the President to at once de-
clare the railroads of the country
the property of the federal govern
ment, and place their operation I'M
der the charge of the postmaster
general Should the strike be avert |
ed for the time being by arbltra-
titon, the lesson Is one which will |
be used in urging the issue of gov
eminent ownership in the near fu-
ture in a manner which has never |
before been done. H. B. w.