The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-17
FEDERAL INCORPORATION.
What Federal Railroad Board
Would Do for Labor.

To THE EDITOR or THE suN-Sir: Nv.
A. H." Of Auburn. Pa, In his letter
to you of April ~ attacks my plan
because 1t does not solve the labor
question. although he himself says
this labor trouble faced ancient Egypt
and has trickled down through the
ages. His point Is that a Federal
Railroad Board selecting railroad d.
rectors might make matters worse.
My first answer Is that present rail-
road directors do not and cannot
handle the labor question because they
are not backed up by public sentiment,
while q Federal Railroad Board repre-
senting the public would get that
backing. This in connection with the
well recognized fact that q great strike
never succeeds as against public senti-
ment clinches the nswer Strikes
would be fewer: violence less frequent;
protection more certain, and arbitra-
ton more Just and responsive to the
far Off good Of all.
I canno imagine anything worse
than the present situation. Higher
wages are being demanded and OBJ
"iht toiitliiutilys u ran otu u
helpless because the public has no
sympathy for them. All that the
public demands is that traffic shall not
be stopped. Put in charge a Federal
Railroad Board, named by the Presi-
dent and approved by the Senate. as
] propose. and the public will quickly
oppose any unreasonable demand for
higher wages.
But. intimates w. 4. H." the Fed
eral Railroad Board would truckle to
the labor vote. Doe the Supreme
Court truckle? Does the Federal
Reserve Board truckle? Did Charles
Francis Adams truckle on this ques-
ton when he was Railroad Commits
sioner for Massachusetts,? In his au-
photography published a few days ago
by the Massachusetts, Historical So
ciety he points out page 174) how as
n Railroad Commissioner in 1877 he
stopped railroad strikes in New Eng
land by invoking enlightened public
opinion, based on a public investiga-
ton OF the facts. That "a in connec-
ton with n strike of engineers or the
Boston and Maine, and Mr.. Adams says
that for twenty-three years thereafter
there were 10 strikes by railroad train
operatives in New England. And this
IA the same Charles Francis Adams
who was afterward one OF the Govern
ment directors In the Union Pacific
Railroad, appointed By the President
II the United States. Nor was Charles
Francis Adams an exceptional appoint
ment. Others were Mark Hanna, Ma
thaniel Niles. James +. Wilson. Fred
eric Il. Coudert. Colgate Hoyt. John
r. Plummer. +. Ellery Anderson, Il
+. Wade. Jesse Spaulding. \. kountze,
Joseph w. Paddock. George G.. Haven
Don VI. Dickinson. William j. Coombs
Franklin Macveagh. Fitzhugh Lee
and other men well known between
1864 and 1897. when that railroad
passed out from under the Fedora
charter by foreclosure sale. Many OF
these directors were army officers dur.
ing the civil war, with the training ..
civil engineers. a profe ss!on to be re.
lied upon for efficiency and honesty.
II such men as the above with pub
lie sentiment back of them could no
handle h labor question. what chance
have the present railroad director:
with no public sentiment at all 10 sup.
bort them?
am aware tina, Govcrr,nen, owr.
,rshin couid no, .,,cc..s,ruy .r,rn,,
with this labor question. r,ir,,,ea,
.xperience caches us thai, Ru, n,
poin,cd ont T., my Ie,.ar "a ,.n,, ~
,nril 2 my nrouos,l 10 yar rouovc,
from Governwer, ornershin
Ie, us annro,ch tho suhicc, fro,
another anpc Is "W n so sur.
that higher railroad wages are IA,
for the country? was under the i'm
preston that ANYTHING tina. strength
ems the mental. moral and rhysicn
fibre of railroad EMPLOYEES is dosir
able. Where can Won find a hardi.
class OF men in this countrv than IN.
railroad engineers; self-reliant. brave
temperate. devoted TO duty. master,
~ the hundred ton iron horse? Src'
men make a nation. Do you not Zee
Ike Nft!ng YOUR hat To one or them
sitting in his box. looking straigh
ahead, in charge OF your life" VIII!
should he moi get high wages Doesn'
he earn them and can't We aford II
This Is the richest country In tn
world, the richest country In all his
tory. In 1912 our wealth was $lS7,
$4,000 900. II - now over 500, 900.
economist or England. IN n pr'rat
conversation In New York. said tina
In a few years the wages of Englisl